Wandering Romance, Unwavering
by InuLoveKawaii13
Summary: Both were from completely different worlds. One from the world of magic and the other the realm of muggles. But both attended the same school: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Their story is a long one that ends where it began: Platform 9 3/4.
1. Chapter 1

Wandering Romance, Unwavering *A Lily and James Fan Fiction*

_Both were from completely different worlds. One was from the world of magic and the other from the realm of muggles. But both attended the same school: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Their story is a long one that ends where it also began: Platform 9 ¾._

Disclaimer: I do not own The Harry Potter series or memorabilia. This is purely fictional. Anything that sounds familiar most likely belongs to J. K. Rowling, if not someone else.

**Author Note:** Okay, so I cannot wait to get this story underway! It has been in my mind for a while now, but I have been putting it off for some time due to NaNoWriMo, which I will be unable to finish due to lack of time to write my story. Believe me, I have been working on this for a little while now and I am so excited that I actually get to post it now. I know I promised readers that I would have this out by the fourteenth, but I will be honest: school makes things difficult. And during finals week? I am sorry I even tried to promise anything! I sincerely hope that you all like my story and will read it through it's run! I pulled out to the end just a few minutes ago - and I did edit it before I posted, so if there are any grammatical errors, etc., I apologize. Happy reading!

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_**Chapter One**_

James Potter was bored. Not only was he lonely, but he also knew no one around him. Sure, he knew of them. Take Kimberly McLane, for example. Everyone knew her. She was the pretty daughter of the Minister of Magic's sister's best friend. And then there was Kyle Lanchester. His parents were international Quidditch players. He was expected to be just as good as they were. But as much as he knew other people surrounding him, no one, as far as he knew, knew of James Potter, the son of Eric Tristan and Lillian Ambrosia Potter. They knew his parents, knew they had one son in their fairly old age, but they only knew that. They did not know his name or his personality. They did not know that he was heading to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

So to say that James Potter was bored was a major understatement. He was leaning against the wall, not bothering to hide his people watching as he pet the cat happily sitting on his shoulder. He stared at everyone surrounding him, watching them and memorizing their faces. He made small markers in his head such as, _she is pretty, her hair is long, he looks sloppy, _and_ that red head does not look to be on good terms with that brunette_ and so on. He didn't notice his attention continually focus on the pretty red head he would later share a seat with on the train, even if for but a few moments.

"James!" James jumped at the sound of his mum's voice. She gave him a hug, handing him the treats she bought for his new (and first) snowy owl, Seraphina. "James, darling," she said, pushing his trolley away. James watched his mother before following. "You promise to write every week. I want to know what is going on in that little head of yours. I want to hear about all the good friends you make. I want to hear about…"

James nodded to everything his mum said, knowing she probably put a prompt in his belongings next to or within his writing utensils, next to what he does not doubt to be a letter she would have written for him the night before and snuck into his shoulder bag, containing a couple books to read, treats for Seraphina, some money for the trolley, his new wand, and some parchment and a self-inking quill. She even went as far as to put his trunk into the luggage car, as if her eleven year old son was not capable of doing so on his own. He crawled into a different car after his mum and sat on the seat, cuddling his cat as she gave a small kiss on the crown of his head before getting out, walking to stand next to his dad as he chatted with a muggle couple. He continued to stare out the window of his compartment, watching people. The cat crawled out of his hands and onto the seat, laying her furry head onto his leg, using it as an unofficial pillow.

The door of his compartment slammed open and ricocheted back into place, the girl slamming onto the seat, head down on the thin windowsill and cried. It was the same red head he watched earlier, he noted, and he really had no idea what to do. So he sat there, curious, but not going near her. The compartment door opened again, softer this time, and James looked. A small boy, hair messy and black, his robes new and clean, with his hands on his pockets looking at ease, stood in the doorframe.

"May I sit here?" he asked, not seeming troubled by the girl crying her eyes out. James stared for a moment then nodded, giving the boy a small smile. The boy smiled in return, sitting down next to him. "Are you excited about Hogwarts?" he asked, silence of which he was not comfortable with, apparently.

"Yeah, you?" he responded.

"Most definitely! I was practically bouncing off the walls since I got the letter. I heard that there are ghosts and talking staircases! Mum and dad just scoffed at it. But then again, they always scoff… Well, they are the snivelling, snotty heads of the Black Family. Did you know that one of my ancestors was the headmaster of Hogwarts?"

"No… But I don't think any of the staircases talk…and don't all ghosts talk?" James muttered.

"What's your name?" he asked, clearly happy to have someone to talk to.

"James. James Potter. You?" he responded.

"Sirius Black, at your service!" he said, standing to give a short bow.

As the two boys sharing a carriage with her laughed and giggled, Lily continued to cry at the window. Tuney was mad. Lily and Petunia never fought so much before. She really did not understand why Petunia reacted that way to her Hogwarts letter. _I mean, it should be cool to have a sister that is a witch, right? I guess Petunia does not see it that way. _Lily glanced over at the boys across from her. They were busy chattering and laughing, even though they merely met just ten minutes before. Lily heard steps thumping down the aisle in the car, but didn't bother to look up and see who passed by. The door opened and she heard Severus take a seat across from her. She glanced at him, turning away almost immediately, trying to hide tears. She didn't want to see him and voiced it.

"I don't want to talk to you." Her voice was constricted.

"Why not?"

"Tuney h-hates me. Because we saw that letter from Dumbledore." She sounded sulky, but Lily couldn't help it. She wanted to get along with Petunia, and it seemed like it wasn't going to happen any time soon. Judging from Severus's expression, he didn't understand it.

"So what?" Lily turned at him, her expression showing disgust and incredilation. _I can not believe he just said that! Petunia is my sister. She is my best friend. _

"She is my sister!" Severus said something, but Lily paid no mind to it as she only wished to wipe away her tears inconspicuously.

"But we're going! This is it! We're off to Hogwarts!" The excitement was hard to miss. _I should have known. I mean, he is already dressed in his school robes. What more could be asked of for someone who can not wait to get away from arguing parents and smock-like clothing? Seriously. _A half smile graced her lips as she finished wiping her eyes. "You'd better be in Slytherin." Lily looked up at Severus, not sure how to take the statement. Before she could respond, however, the black haired boy she previously shared with spoke.

James really tried to mind his own business. Really. But after hearing the first words coming out of her mouth, he was curious as to why someone would name their kid Tuney. He himself, though not willing to say so out loud, was partial to the name Harry. He would have named his owl so, but his mum stopped him. Same with his cat. _Mums are always so picky…_ When the bat-like boy said the words 'You'd better be in Slytherin,' James lost his ability to hide his eavesdropping.

"Slytherin?" The incredulity in his voice was unmistakable. He could not believe that anyone could actually _wish _to be in the house of snakes. It was purely inconceivable in his mind. "Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" James asked Sirius, who was oddly silent with the new subject. He distinctly heard a mumble along the lines of 'And I thought I was the only one listening on greasy-face's conversation here…', though the other two in the compartment did not hear him.

"My whole family have been in Slytherin." Sirius, now sitting across from him, did not smile. James felt sorry for him.

"Blimey. And I thought you were all right!" He gave the boy a smile, trying to cheer him up, just a little. _Not everyone goes by family. There is always the odd ball. Take Cousin Bern. He is such a cheese brain! All he cares about is making new potions everyday. I think he was in…wasn't it Ravenclaw?_

"Who knows, maybe I will break tradition." Sirius broke into a smile as he spoke. "Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?" James lifted his arm as if he were holding up a sword.

"'Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!' Like my dad." The greasy haired boy made a noise James compared to when one brushed the back of their tongue. "Got a problem with that?" _Git?_ He wanted to add that, but felt it to be a little too rude when in the presence of a girl. The boy had a slight sneer as he spoke.

"No. If you'd rather be brawny than brainy –" The boy never finished his sentence as Sirius interrupted.

"Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you are neither?" James said nothing, though he felt that comment was a little rude. They barely knew the guy. He laughed, however, at the expression on the boy's face. The boy was royally pissed. As the two calmed down, he noticed the girl looking at the two of them with disgust.

Lily stood, unable to handle people teasing Severus any longer.

"Come on, Severus, let's find another compartment."

"Oooooo…." Lily sent daggers at the black haired boy who had been sitting next to her, passing him by with a cool attitude. She opened the compartment door and walked out, not noticing the foot the boy with glasses and hazel eyes stuck out in attempt to trip Severus. Before the door closed, a voice called out to Severus.

"See ya, Snivellus!" She sent a heated glare towards the now slammed shut door as laughter came out of the compartment.

"Gah! Those two are so stupid!" she growled walking along the corridor of the car and into compartments. "Don't let them bother you, Sev," she encouraged, "because they are not worth being on your mind!" Lily did not see Severus looking at her with renewed awe.  
She looked into another compartment and found it to have two open seats. Four people already occupied it, though two were leaving, both boys. Lily looked at one, who wore worn clothing and held a book and reading glasses in his hand. He looked tired. She stared briefly before walking up to the door, hesitant.

"May we sit with you?" The two girls who remained looked up at the two and blink.

"Sure," the brown haired one on the right said. Severus and Lily walked in, though Lily noticed Severus on edge. The small group looked at each other uncomfortably before talking all at once.

"I'm Lily-"

"I'm Alice-"

"I'm Mary-"

Severus was the only one not to talk, though Lily couldn't help but laugh at the shock covering his face at the random outburst of names. The two other girls giggled as well.

"You first," Lily said to the mouse brown haired girl next to her.

"I'm Alice. Alice Prewett," the mousy haired girl said, as the girl next to her spoke next.

"Mary Walish, at your service!" the brunette proclaimed cheerfully. Lily gave a small smile before responding herself.

"I'm Lily Evans, and this is my friend, Severus Snape." Severus's attention was immediately diverted to the girls again at the mention of his name. "He lives down the street from me. He is also the one who told me I am a witch. He is so smart!" Severus blushed as all the girls looked at him. He looked down and away again, this time, Lily noticed, with a small smile on his face. _Now that is better. You should smile more, Severus. It suits you._ Lily looked back at the girls, who started giggling about something in the magazine. Lily, curious, tried to peak over the edge.

"Do you want to look?" Alice asked, Mary nodding enthusiastically.

"Yeah, you can look! They are showing a picture of the Potters. It is the first time anyone has seen their son, James. He is our age. Apparently his parents didn't want him to get more attention than he already has for being born when they are at such an old age!"

Lily contained her excitement as she sat in between the two girls, happy to have made new acquaintances. She glanced over at Severus, noticing he pulled out the book she gave him for their little "Heading to Hogwarts" exchange. A smile graced her small mouth as she thought about the way he would love that book.

James stared at the door the red head just walked out of the compartment through, unsure of how she managed to stun him like she did. He was barely able to comprehend the fact that she went from crying to flushingly angry within a time period of four minutes and one second. Sirius, however, was laughing his tail end off, reminding James of an overactive puppy – particularly the one one of his muggle neighbours owned that tried to chase him down the street when he happened to pass by their gate on his way back from the park that mysteriously became empty when he entered it. The incident terrified him so much he was now permanently terrified of the creatures. Sirius's laughter soon died when James asked him a question concerning animals:

"What is your favourite animal?" Sirius Black looked at James as if the boy lost his mind.

"…Dogs…why?" he answered and asked suspiciously. James didn't have to see his face to know it visibly showed his dismay of his answer. "What's with that face?" Sirius asked defensively. "I'll have you know that I am the proud supporter of the dog race. Dogs are brilliant creatures. Have you ever been lost?" Sirius didn't give James time to answer the strange with a mystified no before he charged on in his monologue. "Dogs can help you find your way in a heartbeat!" Sirius continued on, but James began to tune the boy out: he was speaking in a general circle of dog facts that even James knew. Their sense of smell is extraordinary, their hearing is almost unstoppable, and they are loyal. James knew that Sirius was correct, however James knew the boy was failing to mention (or therefore, didn't even know) that dogs have sharp teeth, are loud, and know how to make a two year old boy pee in his pants with fear when he headed home from the park. "What is your favourite animal?"

James blinked before he continued thinking on it.

"Good question…" Sirius did not hear the comment.

"I bet it is a lion!" James frowned. _Lions have sharp teeth, are loud, and can probably make me pee my pants at age eleven._ So James shook his head. "What is it then?" Sirius asked, confused.

"Deer." James was quite satisfied with the answer himself. But Sirius laughed. The compartment door opened a while later, after Sirius teased James enough about his "girly" response.

"May I sit with you two?" They both looked up, James hopeful and Sirius crying with laughter written in his eyes.

"Sure," James said, and the sandy haired boy with a book in his hands gave a grateful, almost relieved smile. A small, mousy boy stood behind him and seemed to request the same and Sirius okayed him.

Both boys stared at the newcomers and James decided to ask them the million dollar question he just asked Sirius and answered himself.

"What is your favourite animal?" the boys asked at the same time, and the newcomers stared at them with uncertainty.

"Rabbits," the sandy haired bookworm said cautiously, uncertain of how to answer.

"Alligators!" the second boy answered and all three looked at him blankly. _Did he just say alligators?_ The awkwardness was slow to disappear when the conductor announced that they would be at the school in ten minutes. Three of the boys jumped to put on their school uniforms. The sandy haired boy was the only one not to. He changed at the station.

"So…uh…what are your names?" James asked, feeling that it should be known.

"Remus Lupin," said the sandy haired boy.

"As in the Roman tale? Where twin boys, fathered by some roman deity, raised by a Lupa then by a shepherd and his wife?" James questioned, unknowingly making Remus admire him. Most people would not see this in his name. "And wasn't Remus the one to die, killed by Romulus?" Remus, though happy to find someone who knew something that came from a book, was not so happy about the connection to a wolf and the mention of the manner of death.

"First of, that is myth, and secondly, did you research Roman myth? I looked it up on the computer…" Remus trailed off, unsure of the blank expressions he received.

"I'm James Potter," he said, not sure what computers were and wishing not to talk about them.

"Sirius Black," Sirius said. James completely forgot the fourth boy in the compartment who, though getting his name out in the open, managed to get his self trapped in his robes. Sirius laughed. "That reminds me of a time when Reg got trapped in the curtains. Mother charmed them so intruders wouldn't get past the windows. She soon discovered that they make a great punishment. What is your name again?" he asked sheepishly.

"It's Peter," the boy said quietly. "Peter Pettigrew." All the boys smiled as the train stopped, climbing of, clearly not concerned at all that the war would be defined in this very moment: on the Hogwarts Express, Platform 9 ¾.


	2. Chapter 2

Wandering Romance, Unwavering *A Lily and James Fan Fiction*

_Both were from completely different worlds. One was from the world of magic and the other from the realm of muggles. But both attended the same school: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Their story is a long one that ends where it also began: Platform 9 ¾._

Disclaimer: I do not own The Harry Potter series or memorabilia. This is purely fictional. Anything that sounds familiar most likely belongs to J. K. Rowling, if not someone else.

**Author Note:** Okay, so I really wish that I could ignore school. I mean, seriously! Do I always have to be the one who chooses the worst time to choose the first presentation for a class? And to top it off, I decided to get a JOB to fill up even more time! Classic idiot moment of InuLoveKawaii13, my friends, classic. But unfortunately, that is not the reason this chapter was not out earlier. I have been struggling for a while now, but homework was the smallest of issues. My main issues was lack of motivation and just plain laziness and some good ol' motivation to work on _Iris Petals: An Inuzuka Kiba Romance_. Check it out! It is pretty good, if I may say so myself. Not as entertaining as this here's Author Note, but I may add it. I thought of doing so after I started this one, which was six chapters into Kiba's story. Anyways, I hope you all are not too mad at my unmotivated writing! Happy reading!

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_**Chapter Two**_

Lily walked off of the train and looked around. It was all dark out. Excitement ran through her as she imagined the castle. In the distance, she saw a large monument, with turrets and windows lit by candlelight. A small gasp escaped her as she looked on dreamily. She giggled. _I am finally here! I am finally at Hogwarts!_

"All firs' yers, follow me!" Lily jumped as a booming voice echoed on the platform. "Come on, 'ow! I don' bite!" Lily hesitated before following a few other first years over to the giant man. She looked up at him hesitantly.

"Who are you?" she asked. The man looked down on her and she saw a gentle smile and friendly eyes.

"Why, hello! The name is Rubeus Hagrid. An' you?" Lily smiled.

"Lily Evans. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hagrid."

"Aw, now, just call me Hagrid. It sounds more casual. I am the Keeper of Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts. I hope ya don't plan on giving me a rou' time this year." Lily giggled.

"How could I possibly give you any trouble?"

"You shouldn't, as long as you don't try an' go into the Forbidden Forest and a few other off-limits places." Hagrid looked beyond her. "Oi! Potter and Black!" Lily turned around and looked on with disgust. The two boys she previously shared a compartment with were looking at Hagrid, stunned, probably shocked the groundkeeper knew their names.

"I have a feeling that those two will be the end of me. I sincerely hope I am not in their house," Lily mumbled. Serverus caught up to her.

"Just hope to be in Slytherin," he said, "then you will not have to deal with them – hopefully…" Both smiled before moving towards the lake, were boats awaited them.

James looked up at the giant man who addressed him and Sirius.

"Is he half-giant?" he asked quietly. Remus looked up.

"I believe so."

Sirius gave a bark. "Ha! I think he will be fun to mess around with this year, don't you?"

"I don't plan on getting into _any_ trouble." Remus gave Sirius a look that clearly said he meant every last word of that comment. Sirius gave a cheeky grin.

"Wha' do you think you're doin'?" James looked up at the man. If not for the friendly glint in his eye, he would have thoroughly peed his pants right that moment. The man was bigger than he looked from a distance. James just blinked, however. He hadn't peed his pants since he was three years old when the house elf snuck up behind him as he stretched to grab the book his dad bought for him on his latest trip to America about dragons and Olympian gods. He still believed that poor Winnie snuck upon him on his father's orders. The man had an uncanny leaning towards mischief; his mother prayed continually that her son would not turn out like him. Their wizard neighbours held out little hope for that. Seeing who he had struck up with, he felt sorry about having to agree with his neighbours.

"We were just talking, sir." Remus sounded a bit too formal for an eleven year old who was about to get in trouble. James looked at the boy curiously.

"You're Remus Lupin, if I am na' mistaken, right?" James's eyes glinted suddenly. He spotted the red head from earlier up ahead and pushed past Remus and Sirius as well as the huge giant and towards her. When he just about reached them when he spotted the greasy haired neglected boy sitting in an empty canoe: the red head was sitting in a boat with two other girls. Snivellus seemed to have the right idea. What boy would _want_ to ride with only three girls for company? They were weird at best – except the red head, of course. She was a little bossy, but she was as normal as can be. He didn't try to make sense of that in his head. He just stared at the boat and knew that there was no way he was going to climb in that boat, even for the red head.

He turned around just as he heard a voice he never wished to hear call out to him.

"James!" he cringed.

Lily looked behind her and saw the black haired boy from earlier freeze and stiffen. Mary called out to him a second time.

"James, are you okay? You seem a little stiff…" The boy slowly turned at his green-hazel eyes looked suspicious. Alice gasped.

"You're James Potter! See, Lily! The Quibbler actually got something right for a change. The only son of the Potter family _is _coming to Hogwarts this year!" Lily just concentrated on how the boy barely kept himself from running away immediately. She could almost hear the voice in his head. 'I really wish that the girl never called out to me. I should have stayed with my new friends.' The thought was practically oozing from his body.

"You're name is Lily?" James asked her, almost seeming shy. Lily just eyed him curiously and suspiciously. She remembered his mocking of Sev earlier. She was still slightly spiffed about it.

"Lily Evans. She is muggle-born. Lily, I should probably warn you that he thinks girls are weird and contain contagious diseases. He also has a prankster for a father, so he may end up in a lot of trouble due to a hereditary disease known to our block as Mischief's Curse – it is highly contagious to house elves." James glared at Mary.

"I am not a big troublemaker and I do not have some hereditary disease called Mischief's Curse. And why would I have it when my dad is the one that pulls the pranks?"

"So you are telling me that the blue hair was all the shampoo?" Mary demanded.

"I didn't mean to do that! Mum even told you so!"

"Sure…"

James was furious. Mary still blamed him for the blue hair. He swore up and down to his mum that he didn't mean to turn the girl's hair blue – she had destroyed his favorite book and he was upset about it. How was he supposed to know that being angry turned a person's hair blue? James turned around and fell into the water under the boats: Sirius Black stood less than an inch behind him. He sputtered as Hagrid walked over and picked him up by his shirt collar, plopping the black haired boy into the boat with the three girls. Still spitting up water, James tried to object, but the boat moved forward to allow new students to get into the empty boats easily. Sirius gave a barking laugh before climbing into a boat along with Remus and Peter. They were with Snivellus and the two black haired boys did not look pleased. _They probably should not be in the same room together…_ The boat the four boys occupied tipped over. _Scratch that. They should not be within a mile of each other, though I wouldn't want to be within a mile of his greasy hair either. I am cringing right now just from being this close to him. _

James slowly turned around to look at the girls in the boat with him. Other than Mary, he had no idea who the other two were. He barely remembered who Mary was and having just learned Lily's name, he very well couldn't just claim he knew her.

"You turned a girl's hair blue?" James looked at the girl with mousy brown hair as she spoke. He merely squinted suspiciously.

"Her name is Janice, blockhead. She is also a half-blood," Mary commented. James looked at Mary and blinked before speaking.

"And I care about blood status because…?" he asked and Mary giggled.

"James, ev—" She was cut off by a shriek followed by continuous babbling about myth and fairytale. James stared at the red-head with a look of clear concern.

"It's just a castle." The red head turned and gave James the glare he knew would eventually kill him. _Oh, Merlin. She is scarier than the dog down the street. _

"That is not _just _a castle, you blockhead!" James scowled and glared now. That is the second time in a matter of less than five minutes that he was called "blockhead."

"Now you listen here! I am _not_ a blockhead. My name is James!" The girl ignored him, however.

"I have been practically _dying_ to see that castle for the past two years, ever since Sev told me about witches and wizards and a special school for people like us. So this is not just some _castle_! This is a place that I will make something of myself in!" When she finished her monologue, all three of the people in the boat looked at her curiously.

"Really, Lily, James may have been a bit out of line in saying that, but I don't think he deserved _that_ much of a lecture." Lily was prevented from responding as the group had reached the cavern underground. Lily looked around, clearly impressed by the display shown of the castle. James himself was pretty excited about the cave, though for entirely different reasons: he was a boy after all.

Lily looked around excitedly. Mary had made a good point earlier, but she wasn't going to let her know that. James could not have known about her excitement. But Lily knew all about what was going on in his brain when he saw this cavern. Anyone would have. _That boy is going to get himself in trouble the first day. Why do they take us to a place that would mean certain death for any boy's control? I wonder how late he will be out of bed today once he figures out the password?_ Lily's thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of witch who appeared in her late thirties. She looked at everyone her tight bun glistening in the candlelight, throwing white-yellow beams onto the pitch black hair that was cliché of the witch stereotype.

"Good evening." The woman said the salutation in a voice that spoke of experience. Lily gave a small gulp, as did James. She sent a glance to him and saw fear in his eyes. This woman terrified him. A laugh caused them both to jump and they fell in the lake. When they surfaced, they noticed everyone looking at the black haired boy James had been hanging out with earlier. Lily turned to glare at James, but found him looking resignedly at the boy who was laughing.

"Ha! You look like my mum!" He continued to laugh.

"I wouldn't be laughing if she was my mum…" Lily glanced over at James again, and everyone turned to look at him, including the woman Lily assumed was a teacher.

"A smart thought, Mr. Potter. Mr. Black, I would like to think that unlike every single one of your family members, with the exception of Andromeda, you would do well not to laugh at the sight of authority. I do not like to think you would prefer to gain a detention on the first night of school. Mr. Potter, please be so kind as to help the young lady next to you out of the water." James got out of the water and offered Lily his hand. Begrudgingly, Lily took it and ended up taking both of his hands, eventually getting out of the water after a moment or two. A cough or two later, Lily looked at James and gave a small, begrudging smile and noticed him just looking at her. Looking around, she noticed that she and James were the only ones in the small cavern aside from the teacher and Hagrid, who was cheerfully conversing with the woman. She glanced at the boy again.

"What are you looking at?" she yelled, causing him to jump and the two adults to look at them as the statement continued to echo.

James looked away, choosing the ground finally, embarrassed. All he was doing was watching her examine her surroundings. A crunching of gravel caused him to look up, the teacher looked at him softly as she walked over to him. The girl already scrambled inside.

"It would do well not to stare at people, Mr. Potter." The woman pushed him into the building gently, shutting the door behind him.

"Sorry, Professor McGonagall. Didn' mean to take so long." Professor McGonagall nodded to him and motioned for Lily to come over, drying them instantly with a non-verbal spell, the kind his mum did all the time. James looked at her with excitement in his eyes as he felt heat permeate his clothes and dry him completely. _Mum would be peeved if she saw my hair right now. She always did curse my hair. _

"Goodness, why is your hair so messy?" James looked over at Lily, away from the teacher he admired and at the girl he didn't know he offended earlier nor how he did so. He just blinked. _I have a feeling she holds similar sentiments. _

"Follow me." McGonagall spoke to the whole group and they followed numbly. James noted that Lily skipped over to the greasy boy she was speaking to earlier. He hurried to join Sirius, who stood with Remus and Pepper.

"Why do you keep disappearing? First outside and then when we first walk into the building." James glared at Sirius. Remus took note of the look and explained for Sirius what he seemed incapable to figuring out.

"Sirius, if you hadn't barked a million times then James – James, right?" James nodded, "then James would not have disappeared in the first place."

"I didn't bark," he said.

"You laughed, sending me into the water, fish-brain!" James said.

"Fish-brain!" Sirius shouted, offended, and Professor McGonagall looked over at Sirius.

"Mr. Black, you would do well to use your inside voice, for even in this room, you can be heard in the Great Hall." Sirius opened and closed his mouth, not helping to fight the accusation of his brain power asserted by James. James and Remus snickered as he was set into silence by the teacher. She spoke again.

"Welcome to Howarts," she said in a welcoming tone, the exact opposite of the tone used to reprimand "Mr. Black" with. "The start of term feast is about to begin, as is your sorting. Your Sorting is very important, as it determines almost who you will be for the rest of your Hogwarts career. The people in your house will be your family while at school. You will have classes with your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend your free time in your house common room." Lily glanced over at the group of boys, one looking rather like a fish, two (including James) muffling snickers at "Mr. Black", and one looking clueless, trying to figure out the joke. _If they are my house-mates…_

"The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin." She heard a few gags throughout the crowd of first years, including James'. Professor McGonagall ignored them all and ploughed on through her spiel, obviously spoken many times before. "Each house has its own noble history and produced outstanding wizards and witches. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points and rule-breaking and mischief will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will earn the House Cup, an honour. Last year, Hufflepuff won the House Cup. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house you grace."

Looking over again at the boys, Lily knew she was doomed if she had them in her house. Before she could ponder anything, however, Professor McGonagall spoke again.

"The Sorting Ceremony shall begin shortly. I would suggest smartening up before walking into the Great Hall. I will be back when Professor Dumbledore is ready for you." With that, she left. Lily turned instantly to Severus.

"Ooo! I can't wait Sev! What do they do in the sorting?" Lily asked eagerly. Severus looked at Lily and smiled.

"What do you think I am? Psychic? I don't know what they do. Mum never told me. I think even everyone else here doesn't know."

"Why did you call me fish-brain?" Lily looked over at the source of the loud voice and saw James and a sandy-haired boy snickering. "I mean, dog-brain, even squid-brain, would have been fine. But fish-brain? Really?"

"I couldn't think of any other animal that was stupid." James said through his snickering and both him and the sandy-haired boy howled with laughter.

"Hamsters! Rodents! They are stupid!" James howled louder. "Remus! Tell him!" The sandy-haired boy smiled wolfishly, his eyes alight with laughter as he spoke.

"Sorry, but that would be a disgrace to mice. Unfortunately, James hit it dead on. Fish are by far the stupidest. They have a memory of three seconds." Remus and James continued to laugh until Professor McGonagall came in again.

"We are ready for you. Follow me!" Everyone looked over at the teacher and followed numbly as she led them out of the small chamber and into the entrance hall, crossing the hall and entering the Great Hall. Lily muffled a gasp as she looked around the room and instantly feel in love. Looking at the ceiling, she gave a misty eyed look, not noticing that she somehow became a part of the line, behind Severus and in front of James. She also didn't notice that James was staring at her.

"Wow," she mumbled softly. Looking forward, she admired the candles and the long wooden tables, worn beautifully with age. The table in front of the four house tables made Lily stop in her mystified gaze around the room. She saw several teachers, with a seat next to the largest empty. The centre chair, also the largest, was the seat of a man who was rather old, but also very, very wise. She could just tell that he was not as bumbling as he looked. The twinkle in his eye told Lily that he preferred to look mischievous and loved pranks and mischief even more.

She glanced at James, who she realized was behind her for the first time and just knew that he and the old man would get along very well.

"That's Dumbledore," he said, calmly as he gave a small smile. She glanced away and harrumphed before turning around and watching the table as the group stopped. _Hogwarts is going to be amazing._

* * *

Just some notes: I thought something was really funny earlier and worth mentioning here, but then I forgot it, having gone to work and does chores around the house, being the minor that she is being forced to comply to the everyday whims of her parents. Go InuLoveKawaii13 (as she almost puts her real name down). And her knee is seriously dying.

On the subject of said bad knee, I seriously cannot wait to get it checked out. I told my mom I want to get it checked out this week, since I am tired of the random spasms it has with twinging pain. {Note as of many weeks later: have yet to get said knee checked out...dumb mom.}

Hours later (really just moments, but bleh): [1] initial comment still allusive though this may be part of it, I myself find it rather amusing that though James and Sirius hit it off immedately as friends, James, even now, wants to strangle the guy for unwittingly dunking the eleven year old in the lake two times. [2]We get a snid bit of stubborn Lily! I really like to think that Lily at least partially forced herself to hate James. No one goes from total hate to total love in an instant and that is something Lily seemingly does in a matter of days in most of the fics I have read. [3] I like the fact that I managed to stump Sirius. I like that I gave Remus some mischief. I plan on giving him a lot of mischief, actually. A lot of people think of him as this innocent little goody-too-shoes and I like to think that he was a major contributor to the pranking execution, if not the brainstorming (of which I give the credit mostly to James and Sirius). [4] James Potter, a gentleman. I like the picture. A gentleman seems more likely, as I plan on making his mom very kick-butt and terrifying to him, hence the comment James make about not laughing at McGonagall if she looked like his mom.


	3. Chapter 3

Wandering Romance, Unwavering *A Lily and James Fan Fiction*

_Both were from completely different worlds. One was from the world of magic and the other from the realm of muggles. But both attended the same school: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Their story is a long one that ends where it also began: Platform 9 ¾._

Disclaimer: I do not own The Harry Potter series or memorabilia. This is purely fictional. Anything that sounds familiar most likely belongs to J. K. Rowling, if not someone else.

**Author Note:** Sorry for taking so long to update. I should probably say this right now. I am not likely to update on a regular basis. Nothing is going to allow me to make room to update any of my stories on a regular basis and keep them at a schedule. Not when I have work, college homework, chores, a nagging mother, a nagging father (due to the nagging mother), and never having my room "clean" (it is clean to me, but...). So, here is the next chapter! Hope you all like it. And please stick with me!

NOTE THIS CAREFULLY! THERE MAY OR MAY NOT BE FLUFF! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! (Although if you ask me, most of my works are fluffy...)

* * *

_**Chapter Three**_

James looked at the sorting hat curiously. _What are we supposed to do with a mangy old hat like that? I think dad mentioned it before. _Before James could ponder it much longer, the hat gained a mouth. A very thin mouth. A very thin mouth that opened. A very thin mouth that opened and sang. James was in too much shock that the mouth that appeared to hear much of what it was saying. A moment after the shock left him, James focused in on the words, not really wishing to miss out on it. His dad had mentioned something about it being important. He caught the rest of it.

_And I will place where you need to be_

_Should it be Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin_

_Where the brave, honest, smart, and cunning be_

_In Godric's house, the word is brave_

_For friends come before yourself_

_Life is of the moment_

_And goals and plans are random at best_

_In Helga's, the word is honest_

_For telling the truth is difficult to do_

_Loyalty demands the truth_

_And friends will be forever true because of this_

_In Rowena's, the word is smart_

_For knowledge gets you places_

_Learning to be the best in a field_

_And knowing that is sometimes not enough_

_In Salazar's, the word is cunning_

_For survival is key to making it in the end_

_Luck is not part of the draw_

_And giving strict attention is good to do_

_But let these not scare you away_

_For everyone will have a place in history today_

_Life is counted in seconds as of now_

_Through all the years_

_You know you will fall into a place_

_This group will change_

_From beginning to end_

_Friends to become foes_

_Enemies to become lovers_

_Houses shall not and will not matter_

_When it comes time for the end_

James blinked. The riddle itself was not hard to figure out. People would come out different than they are now. Times will change them. That much was obvious. But James could not imagine becoming enemies with all four of his (albeit new) friends. Before James could think on it longer Professor McGonagall put an end to the solemn clapping that went around the hall.

Lily blinked as she thought about the song. _Friends to become foes, enemies to become lovers, houses shall not and will not matter when it comes time for the end. _She put the matter aside as she listened to the names that Professor McGonagall called out.

"When I call your name, you will put in the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted." McGonagall spoke as she opened a scroll, looking at it. Lily noticed how short it was. "Alain, Lindsey!" A girl with bright blonde hair walked up to the stool, almost with a determined look about her. After little debate, it seemed, the hat gave a shout.

"Ravenclaw!" Lily glanced over at the shouts and whoops coming from a table decorated with a blue runner and a blue and bronze crest adorned with the house name, Ravenclaw, and an eagle.

"Applebee, Janice!" Lily stood straighter and looked at the girl with mousy brown hair that sat in their boat that evening. She gave her a little smile and wave as the girl went up hesitantly. It didn't take long for her to be sorted, for the hat shouted within a few seconds.

"Hufflepuff!" A table with a yellow runner and a yellow and black crest boasting a badger and the house name, Hufflepuff, cheered raucously.

Before Lily could even think, Sirius Black slammed past her and Severus as McGonagall called his name. She would have been offended if she didn't notice the lack of space between the tables and how close together everyone was. The hat sat on his head for close to three minutes. Lily actually wanted to go up to him and rip it off his head after two, if she hadn't know that the hat was obviously worn and old. And if she wanted to look like a savage. The hat finally called a house.

"Gryffindor!" Lily blinked. Secretly, that was the house she thought she would want to be in. It had pretty colours. Contrary to everyone else, not only did a girl scream no from the Slytherin table, the claps and whoops were almost non-existent, not that Black would have noticed. He was too busy high fiving James Potter. He sat down at the table with the red runner and a red and gold crest with a lion and Gryffindor on it.

As McGonagall continued through the list, with Carol Bond going to Hufflepuff and Helena Bones and Maria Cain in Ravenclaw and a girl with the last name Carrow, whose name Lily missed, not that she wanted it as the girl was terrifying, went to Slytherin, whose table had a green runner and a green and silver crest with a snake and the house name Slytherin on it, filled with more people who filled her with dread. Charles Carstairs went into Hufflepuff with Joshua Denning. Chi Choune and Amos Darton went into Ravenclaw before her name was called.

James was bored. The only interesting thing that really happened was the shriek coming from who James _thought_ was Bellatrix Black, Sirius' cousin, he assumed, as Sirius muttered in his ear as he passed that he may not come out of the common room the next day for fear of "Bella's – that is Bellatrix, my cousin, in case you don't know – wrath at the noble and most ancient house of Black being dipped into the blood-traitor's goblet" and James wanted excitement. He looked up at the stool again as he heard McGonagall say the next name.

"Evans, Lily!" He noticed the girl shaking heavily as she walked to the stool. She had barely a second of the hat touching her head before it shrieked.

"Gryffindor!" James heard loud clapping, much louder than anyone else's clap as the girl skipped almost completely to the Gryffindor table. He saw her look back at her friend with an apologetic smile and James suddenly understood something in the Sorting Hat's song. _Friends to become foes..._ James missed a lot of names, though he barely caught Elizabeth and John Kent, the twins who actually lived just down his block, get sorted into Hufflepuff and Kyle Lanchester get sorted into Gryffindor before Remus was sorted. He only caught Remus because the poor boy was up on the rickety stool for nearly five minutes before the hat screamed out Gryffindor and ended his misery.

He missed a few more before he heard Kimberly McLane's name and the hat didn't even touch her head before it shouted Gryffindor. James and Peter, the only one's of the four left, much to James' chagrin, blinked before paying attention again. Peter soon left him alone and James was actually shocked to hear the mousy boy be sorted into Gryffindor. Peter was obviously thrilled, though James had secretly thought the guy belonged more to Hufflepuff than Gryffindor. James had his name called three times before someone pushed him forward.

Lily heard Sirius bark a laugh. She herself was trying to hold back a laugh. James Potter had to be yelled at via his last name by McGonagall to get his attention.

"POTTER!" The woman made the boy jumped, making it painfully aware to everyone that the boy had spaced out, being one of the last few to be sorted. Lily's smile escaped. The boy bashfully made his way to the front as quickly as possible apologizing three times without response before McGonagall practically stuffed the hat on his head. The hat was on his head for less time than her own before it shouted Gryffindor. In fact, it almost didn't touch his head, much like what happened with Kimberly, who sat next to her, opposite of Mary MacDonald. The boy ran over to the table and squeezed between her and Sirius, gaining automatic teasing from Mary.

"Ooo! James and Lily squashed in the cupboard!" James threw the girl a look that could have killed a small mouse, if not the pig before the feast. She heard Eric Salem get sorted into Ravenclaw and Psyche Shinton get sorted into Slytherin before Severus' name was called.

"Snape, Severus!" Lily turned immediately to the front, praying that he would get into Gryffindor. Her face fell slightly when the hat cried Slytherin. She missed Alice Tulipine and Mary Walish get sorted into Gryffindor in her disappointment when she saw Severus sit next to a boy who wore a badge with a capital P on it. She didn't have much time to dwell on it, however, as the headmaster, a man with a long white beard who she knew only by name, Professor Albus Dumbledore (with many names in between), stood and spoke.

"Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, first years, and welcome back to those in second year and up. I know you all wish to dive into the feast." Lily looked at the table at this and saw nothing on the table and saw no one at the doors and grew curious as to how the food was going to get on the table. "However, I have a few words I wish to give to you before you do so."

The headmaster paused before looking around, eyes landing on Lily and James, who were currently fighting silently over who needed to move: James and Lily only had one plate in which they could use and neither was willing to share. James sent the girl a look that clearly told her everything going on in his brain: get your own plate! Lily shook her head no and gave him a pointed look. He heard the headmaster continue. "Pick your battles wisely if you don't want to end up in a precarious position." Lily and James looked up at him at the same time, James giving Lily a short dirty look before blinking at the headmaster. He suddenly felt eyes on him and looked around. Lily must have caught on as well for everyone started shaking when she looked at them too. She went red and hit James on top of the head and laughter erupted.

"Ow!" With that, the food came up and both James and Lily forgot their tiff and grabbed food, clearly forgetting that they refused to share a plate earlier, though neither found it suspicious that there was a fork for both of them. James dug into the sausage instantly, throwing some on the plate along with Yorkshire pudding. Lily had grabbed, he took notice of, sausage and Yorkshire pudding as well, though her menu included the peppermint humbugs as well.

When she finished, she glanced at James' side and snuck a sausage. James looked at her blinking before stealing a bit of her Yorkshire pudding and a peppermint humbug. She glared at him before grabbing some more sausages, avoiding the bacon and steaks like the plague. James grabbed some more peppermint humbugs and somehow he and Lily were just sharing all the food on the plate, not caring who grabbed what.

Before long, dessert appeared before them and Lily's eyes landed immediately on the ice cream. Every flavour and none of which were the icky sugar free stuff Petunia demanded be in the house. She glanced at James, whose eyes landed instantly on the jelly. She gasped and immediately grabbed the jelly tray and put some on their plate. James put some treacle tart and cherry pie on the plate. Lily put some peanut butter ice cream and marshmallows on their plate and began to eat them, laughing before she put a marshmallow in her mouth.

"What?" James said, mouth full, at the same time as Kyle Lanchester and Kimberly McLane, who did not have their mouth's full. Lily smiled.

"Tuney would die of starvation here!" she stole some of James' cherry pie before eating up the rest of the marshmallows, grabbing some strawberries and plucking them into her mouth. When the two of them finished off what was on their plate, Lily felt sleepy and content knowing full well that Mama Fawn, her stuffed doe, would be in her bed tonight as she felt homesick. Before she could think more on her sleepiness, or the fact that Sirius Black would not stop talking about dogs, which caused James to lean closer to her, almost into her, Dumbledore stood again and gave a more appropriate speech that did _not_ pinpoint either her or James Potter, though the boy was still leaning into her as Black was still insistent on his great dog advocacy.

"Oh, for Pete's sake, join a dog advocacy group and shut up already!" Lily hissed as Dumbledore began to speak.

"I have just a few more words to give, consisting of warnings, notices, and announcements.

"The Forbidden Forest, again, is off limits to _all_ students. First years are not the only ones forbidden." Dumbledore's gaze lingered on a set of twins with flaming red hair, whom snickered at their mention at the ceremony.

"Mrs. Ambridge has kindly asked me to remind you all that though she doesn't see you, she does have ears throughout the castle, as well as eyes and will know when you use magic or have any forbidden items. Teachers themselves are on the lookout as well, so do well to not use magic in the corridor unless the situation necessitates it.

"Quidditch trials will begin in the second week of the term and notices will be placed accordingly. If you wish to play on your respective house's team, please approach Madam Hooch about it.

"Now!" Dumbledore started to sit but immediately called on everyone again. "Oh! I forgot to mention. Those who are returning will notice a new tree on the grounds. No one is to go near the Whomping Willow, as it is a very, very violent tree. Unless you wish to loose an eye, it is advised that you do not attempt to go touch it." With that Dumbledore sat and waved his wand, a ribbon flowing from it and forming words. "Now for the school song! Everyone sing along now!"

James paled. He hated singing. He was not good at it. Dumbledore started the conducting, but stopped immediately.

"_Everyone,_" he said, lingering on James and, surprisingly, Lily. He began again and James gave a very, very, _very_ soft note, quietly singing along with the tune of one of his dad's muggle music player songs. Lily glanced at him as she sang little louder to him at the same tune. The same twins from earlier finished last with a canon, three times. Everyone clapped enthusiastically, Dumbledore the loudest, when they finished.

"Now, off to bed! We all want to be on time for class tomorrow." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he glanced in the direction of James and Lily, who stood at the same time in a bit of a tangle, being squashed between four people. They finally untangled themselves and ran to catch up to the rest of their group. James glanced at Lily, who stared at him as the prefect waited for the stairs to move.

"The stairs are constantly moving. If you get lost, the portraits will more likely than not be willing to help you find your way. Though do not ask Sir Cardigan. He is rather idiotic and likely to pick a fight rather than help…" the girl said. He concentrated on Lily again.

"You yelled at me for staring earlier. Why do you get to stare?" Lily looked away instantly.

"You are not a bad singer…" James looked at her blankly, while she stared at the floor.

"Password, please?" James looked at the portrait the girl stood in front of when it spoke. It was of a very fat lady in a pink, silk dress.

"Peppermint humbug," the girl said, leading the group inside as the portrait let them in.

Albus Dumbledore sat in the staff lounge alongside the rest of the staff.

"I assume you all have your lessons planned?" Albus looked at the newest addition to their group, Lilliana Periwinkle.

"Yes, I have my lessons planned." The young blonde was going to be gone at the end of the year, though no one made bets, as it was pointless. There was no question, no matter how much the young woman felt that it was possible to work longer than one year.

"Albus, I am more curious about the feast. It seems ironic that Gryffindor ran out of plates." Minerva McGonagall looked directly at the headmaster with this comment. Albus merely smiled slightly.

"Yes, rather curious. Especially the two who were forced to share a plate." Harmony Shackle nudged Minerva in the side.

"Want to make a bet?" she asked the younger woman, clearly excited.

"What kind of bet?" Minerva asked.

"I bet they will get together by third year, the red head and messy-haired Potter."

"It will take all seven years. She won't get past her initial annoyance. Us female Gryffindor hold to our grudges." Minerva's eyes twinkled as people in the room added their bets. Albus remained neutral, deciding he would hold the money and the list of bets.

* * *

Just some notes: I remember from the fifth book (?) that Dumbledore mentioned something about the Sorting Hat giving warnings and I thought it would be cool to incorporate a warning into the Sorting Hat's song the year they enter school, just because I happen to think that Lily and James' year in school had the most 'war heroes,' looking back on it. I also thought it would be fun to add a bet somewhere in there, and decided to add it at the end, with a little section that was for the teacher's in the staff lounge. Thought it was cute. I wonder who will win...?

Another side note: If you have heard the song 'Swingset Chain' by Loquat, that was my inspiration to get me through the chapter. It took me forever to get writing. But I hope you all still look for me and that I can get the next chapter out soon. I am working on Iris Petals Chapter Eight right now (three more pages! Yeah!), so it should be out at some point in the next couple of weeks. Pray for me to get it done! It may get it out faster!

XOXO, I.L.K.13


	4. Chapter 4

Wandering Romance, Unwavering *A Lily and James Fan Fiction*

_Both were from completely different worlds. One was from the world of magic and the other from the realm of muggles. But both attended the same school: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Their story is a long one that ends where it also began: Platform 9 ¾._

Disclaimer: I do not own The Harry Potter series or memorabilia. This is purely fictional. Anything that sounds familiar most likely belongs to J. K. Rowling, if not someone else.

**Author Note:** Sorry for taking so long to update. I should probably say this right now. I am not likely to update on a regular basis. Nothing is going to allow me to make room to update any of my stories on a regular basis and keep them at a schedule. Not when I have work, college homework, chores, a nagging mother, an annoying sister, a dog demanding attention, DEP meetings, school starting in less than a week, and general craziness going on around me.

* * *

**_Chapter Four_**

As James walked into the common room, he felt immediate awe fill him. The entire common room was filled with red and gold. Squashy armchairs filled the room alongside some tables. James looked around and took note that Gryffindor would be a tower. The circular room was light with a bright fire, giving off red and gold sparks that bounced off of the walls of the chimney back into the fire. James was looking at one of the windows when Sirius jumped on him in excitement.

"This is so much better than living in a dungeon! That was all Bella and Cissy would talk about at my house this summer. Even Andy got sick of it! She eventually just took off for some unknown destination. Bella and Cissy have been pretending she doesn't exist, though, so I haven't been able to figure out what is up with her. She didn't go to Slytherin table, though, now that I think about it…" James just gave Sirius a curious glance before taking the staircase the prefect had pointed out.

Sirius, on the other hand, chose the opposite staircase – determined that he was right and the prefect pointed that one out as the boys – and promptly fell down a slide. Everyone turned to look at him, including the girls, as he slowly stood, his only showing that the feast did, in fact, make him lethargic. He ignored James' sniggering as he passed him. Remus came up to James, a smile hidden in his features, though Peter zoomed past him (or what James assumed was a zoom, though it was faster than he would have managed at this point) in pursuit of either Sirius or the bed up in the dormitory. James decided it was not worth thinking about. Instead, he just walked up to the boy's dormitory with Remus following.

"He is really quite idiotic when he is sleepy." Remus looked at James with amusement. "What?" he asked, noting Remus' silent laugh.

"I think everyone would be idiotic during their lethargic state," he commented as he trudged over to his bed. Peter and Sirius, as well as another boy with red-brown hair, were already passed out with sleep probably dreaming of food. James merely looked at Remus. "What?" the sandy haired boy asked defensively. "Haven't you ever had a sleepover?" James flushed before deciding he wanted to wash up before he went to bed. When he got back, Remus had gone to bed as well. James sat perched on the edge of the last bed, which had his belongings tucked at the edge. _What is a sleepover?_ He finally lay on his back and continued to think, going into a fitful sleep.

Lily looked around her new dorm. _And I thought the common room was amazing!_ She looked at all the beds, watching curiously as each girl wandered to a trunk and began to pull out clothes. She looked over to find her own trunk and smiled before rushing over to open it and pull out her pyjamas. She shuffled through her clothes before finding the blue bottoms and the button up top with a clean white trim. She wandered over to the bathroom and peaked inside, smiling and giggling as she saw five sinks and little marble cups that held toothbrushes and other oral hygiene products that they might have. A little shelf ran along under the mirror, separated by five indents, to hold other items the girls might own. She looked over on the other side and saw a toilet blocked in by a stall next to two showers, blocked from view by shower curtains. _I might want to be the first girl up in the mornings if I want to go to the loo at a decent time…_ Lily looked back at the other girls and noted that they all crashed in their beds, two snoring and one thrashing around and one sleeping with a sweet smile on her face. Lily suddenly felt lonely and scared. _Mum won't be waking me up in the morning…_ She sat on the edge of her bed, perched with her arms and knees pulled into her chest. Tears welled into the corners of her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away. She stood and changed into her pyjamas, sliding the covers up and slipping into them quietly. She stared at the top of the bedposts before slowly drifting to sleep, a small frown on her lips as she thought about not waking up to her mum's cooking.

James was not a happy camper. He was the first one up, which wasn't unusual, aside from the fact that it became blatantly obvious that he would be the odd boy for a while. He knew that he should have expected to be a bit off as he had the oldest parents of the entire lot. He didn't know a lot about the other boys, but Kyle Lanchester had young parents: quidditch stars, as they were, were not exactly elderly; Sirius Black may have a dark family but even they were not too old: they were constantly going to parties and promoting their beauty, especially his mother; Peter Pettigrew was the son of a shop owner in Diagon Alley: he had seen the man several times and knew the man was not old either; Remus Lupin he didn't know much about, but he would be willing to wager a guess that his parents were not in their late eighties.

James gave a muted glare at all the boys and moved on to go into the bathroom, carrying his bathroom supplies with him. He looked at the sinks and placed his towel on the sink before unpacking the toothbrush and placed it in the small cup next to one of the sinks and put his toothpaste on the shelf next to it. He picked out his shampoo and body wash and slipped his glasses off and onto the shelf – feeling around with his hand as he did so – and slowly made his way in the general direction of the shower stalls the boy took note of when he walked in. Finally making his way to them, he slipped off his pyjamas, red bottoms with gold snitches on them that moved around in slow mode and a red long sleeved shirt, and put them in a neat pile before entering the curtained stall.

James messed with the shower knobs, noting to never use the one on the right. It squirted boiling hot water at him. The one on the left shot ice cold water at him. He ventured the middle was warm. He hesitated only slightly before turning it on. He was met with cool, yet warm water. He smiled a small smile as he started his shower. _I can't wait for my first class!_ He quickly finished and stepped out of the shower, grabbing the towel next to the stall, noting to ask on upperclassman how it appeared. When he left the bathroom with a towel around his waist, all the other boys in his dorm were still asleep. Looking at the alarm clock next to his bed, he decided it was about time to wake them all up. He may have been able to wake up at five in the morning and except that as just a bit odd, but breakfast was going to start in thirty minutes. He didn't know about the other boys, but he had not much idea as to how to get to the Great Hall.

Walking into the bathroom, he picked up his pyjamas and walked out again to put them on his bed, which he made up as best he could, so they were in easy reach for that night. He then walked back into the bathroom, passing by Sirius' bed and cringed as the boy snored. He filled a marble cup with water and walked back out. He paused just barely a few feet from the bathroom door and thought of whom he would pour water on first. Before he could put much thought into it, a noise brought his attention to Remus, who was waking up and staring at James blearily, as though he were confused. James merely smiled at Remus before continuing his thoughts. Kyle looked as if he were in the throes of waking up. Peter was quite literally about to fall off of his bed. Sirius just continued to snore very loudly and James felt the sound was about to kill his ears. _Sirius it will be._ James walked the few steps to Sirius and began by dripping the water right into Sirius' ear. Other than some twitching, this didn't do much to wake up the boy. James struggled not to laugh. James moved the dripping over to Sirius' nose, which was facing slightly upward. Sirius merely shook him head like a dog and twitched his nose.

James struggled to keep his sniggers inward so much that they were starting to come out. Eventually, he dropped the cup altogether and it fell onto the bed, James giggling and gasping for breath. Sirius bolted upright, having a cup fall on his head and getting soaked at the same time, and stood on his bed, toppling off because one foot had a very uncertain setting on top of his pillow. The young Black jumped up and looked over the other side of the bed at James, who was on the floor roaring. James eventually stood and grabbed his bag and ran down the stairs to the common room, still laughing. Several people turned to look at him. He paused at the bottom of the stairs, noticing the stares. He gave a sheepish smile. He heard pounding on the staircase and turned slightly to see Remus following, sniggering a little as well.

"That was brilliant!" the boy exclaimed. Then he frowned. "What were you doing up and fully dressed so early?" James merely blinked at his dorm mate before heading to the portrait hole and exiting the common room.

Lily woke up before the rest of the girls, mostly due to the fact that she really hadn't much ability to sleep in. She didn't, however, get out of bed until about an hour before breakfast and get ready. Grabbing her bathroom necessities, she propped everything up on a shelf and into the cup before going back and picking out her clothes for the day. Once in the bathroom again, she went to the loo and took a quick shower before walking out of the bathroom, fully dressed and in desperate hunt for her hair brush. She finally found it as one of the girls got up from her bed, whose name Lily vaguely remembered being Kimberly, though her last name evaded her.

"Morning!" the girl said, a yawn coming right after it. Lily gave her a curious glance before smiling. "See you got to the loo before the rest of us." She peeked into the room. "And chose the best mirror! I should have took your method! Wake up first!" The girl turned and smiled. "I'm Kimberly, by the way. Kimberly McLane." Lily gave a small smile before responding.

"Lily Evans." The girl smiled even brighter.

"It is nice to meet you, Lily. What do you think classes will be like?" Lily paused in her motion to brush her hair. "What?"

"I'm muggle born. I have no idea. I know everyone will know more than me!" Lily frowned as she blushed. Kimberly just giggled.

"Oh, no you won't! I know rubbish about class. My brother refused to tell me anything, as did my cousin, Mea. They even lied about the Sorting!" Lily giggled.

"Severus didn't know anything about the Sorting!" Kimberly blinked.

"That mistreated boy in Slytherin?" she asked. Lily hesitated before nodding.

"Well, it is more like…unnoticed." Lily saw the girl avert her eyes.

"He's a little weird if you ask me."

She turned and went into the bathroom with her bath stuff, taking a shower as the other girls in the dorm slowly made their way to the realm of the active. As each woke up, they greeted Lily with sleepy voices before wandering into the bathroom to get ready. Picking up her bag, Lily made her way down the staircase to the common room around thirty minutes to breakfast. She watched a few people before turning towards the portrait hole. Just as she opened it, the messy haired boy who bragged about his father's Gryffindor Sorting on the train ran down the stairs laughing as the whole common room heard a shriek coming from the boy's dormitory. The sandy haired boy who sat with them at dinner that night came down the stairs much slower, but smiling just as brilliantly.

"That was brilliant!" she heard him exclaim. "What were you doing up and fully dressed so early?"

Lily glanced back at those words to find the boy rushing past her to the portrait hole, exiting. She tilted her head curiously before following him, running to catch up. He stopped suddenly in the corridor, causing Lily to crash into him. He fell on his face, Lily landing on top of him. A groan and shout filled the empty corridor.

"Ow!" the boy said, slowly rolling upward, depositing Lily onto the floor next to him. "What are you doing?" he asked, looking at her as he stood up with obvious struggle. The boy's robes were nice, but had a little too much fabric. "Why did mum have to be so determined to buy these stupid robes?" Lily giggled. The boy looked at her. "What?" She giggled even more. "Are you even going to answer my question?" Lily paused to look up at him.

"Yes."

"Then answer it."

"I just did!" she said, holding back her giggle.

"No you didn't! I asked you what you were doing trying to knock me over."

"I wasn't trying to knock you over!" Lily exclaimed, now frowning and not giggling at all. The sandy haired boy from earlier came around the corner and paused to look at the two with the other boy this one chatted with on the train.

"Figured you be to the Great Hall by now," he grumbled unappreciatively. The messy haired boy didn't spare him a glance. The sandy haired boy ventured out as well.

"James?" 'James' continued to ignore the two and just glared at Lily.

"I was trying to catch up to you!" she whispered before turning on her heel and continued on her way to the Great Hall.

James was only mad for two reasons. He didn't know his way to the Great Hall, and his mum's idea of decent school robes were going to make it impossible for him to move. _I am writing dad today to ask him to get me new robes. The ones with less fabric. _Remus, who up until this point merely watched James with curiosity, ventured to speak for a second time.

"What happened between you and that redhead? It isn't even three hours into our first day and you are already fighting with her." James looked at the floor, tight lipped. He turned and continued in the direction the girl went in. He eventually found his way to the Great Hall, getting lost only thirty times, only because Remus decided he knew exactly where the Great Hall was.

James and Remus were still bickering about who got them lost the most when they entered the Hall. James was quickly distracted by the redhead he argued with earlier. She was sitting at the Slytherin Table; she was talking to the greasy haired boy she was with on the train with enthusiasm. She glanced over at the door and frowned immediately when she saw James, though James also frowned at her, his accompanied by a pouting glare. She looked away when the boy next to her spoke, quickly leaving the table after. James was confused until he felt someone brush past him. Kimberly McLane walked past him, smiling sweetly at him before moving towards the redhead. Kimberly backed up a few feet back to him and addressed James, ignoring Remus.

"Her name is Lily Evans, you know. Now you can stop staring at her." Kimberly skipped off towards Lily Evans the redhead and shouted a greeting for the whole hall to hear. James was now staring at Kimberly, as was Remus.

"Creepy bird," a voice said. Both Remus and James jumped and gave shouts of shock as adrenaline pumped through them for a moment. James was still trying to calm his nerves as he turned to look at the boy he dumped water on just less than an hour previously.

"Sirius…" he said, quickly shifting closer to Remus for protection. Sirius narrowed his eyes.

"Hello, James. Rather frigid morning, don't you think?" James gulped. Personally, James thought it was rather warm, but he was not about to answer the statement the Black proposed to him. Sirius merely brushed past James and Remus and moved to the table. Remus headed after him, James following, though several feet behind them.

"Merlin's transparent knickers! This is amazing!" The whole hall turned to look at Sirius, and James and Remus scrambled to get under the table. Professor McGonagall was pounding down the table, Sirius her target. The two boys looked at each other before rolling their eyes. _This guy is going to get us in so much trouble here. _

"Mr. Black! That is not appropriate conversation for Hogwarts! Ten points from Gryffindor!" At this, James stood quickly, banging his head on the table, knocking a tray of burning hot sausages into Sirius' lap.

"Ow!" James shouted, while Sirius proceeded to demonstrate to the whole room just how many swear words he knew. James managed to get out from under the table, Remus following, and stared at Sirius in disbelief. At a particularly colourful verb James had only heard his parents mutter once when they assumed that he was no where nearby, James flushed a deep purple, skipping red altogether. Professor McGonagall and several other students went bright red.

James, however, took action, no longer wishing to learn any more from Sirius: he stuffed food in the boy's open mouth.

"Shusht?" Sirius said, shocked out of his revive of cursing.

"Seriously, shut up!" James said, probably saying the most appropriate words of the moment. Sirius smirked. "And eat with your mouth closed." Sirius's mouth came to a frown. He swallowed the food and tilted his head at James.

"Did you just tell me to talk with my mouth closed?"

"What? My mum tells my dad that all the time." Sirius just blinked before rolling his eyes.

"Oh brother…" James blinked and decided to ignore Sirius.

Minerva McGonagall watched James curiously. The boy looked like he was coming to Hogwarts the year his parents did, clearly showing that his mum picked out his school robes, but his parents instilled some clear values. A small smile lit her face, other students in the hall gawking at it. _I guess Eric and Am did raise him. What did Albus call him earlier today? A behaved version of Eric Potter? _McGonagall snorted.

"Yeah right! Eric being behaved! If only that were possible," she muttered, unaware that three boys were staring at her questioningly as she went back to the student whose schedule was in her hand.

* * *

Just some notes: I just thought it was odd that very few people write James as a likable character. I mean, sure, I may be an optimist here, but I don't think that James, having such old parents even for the wizarding world, could possibly be a slob or sleep in late all the time. I imagine him to be different from all the people his age, just based off of who his parents are. His has values ingrained in him that others don't, considering that losing his parents was especially real to him, whether it be murder or death by disease.

I like the McGonagall bit, personally. I originally had "McGonagall gave a very unladylike snort, but it made the chapter too long. I wish I could have kept it. Oh well, you can replace it in your mind if you like. I like to think that she liked James a lot, myself. She knew more about his situation than most, herself.

Another side note: It is really very pathetic that I only had less than a page to do before I put this up. I am ashamed. I apologize for my laziness.

XOXO, I.L.K.13


	5. Chapter 5

Wandering Romance, Unwavering *A Lily and James Fan Fiction*

_Both were from completely different worlds. One was from the world of magic and the other from the realm of muggles. But both attended the same school: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Their story is a long one that ends where it also began: Platform 9 ¾._

Disclaimer: I do not own The Harry Potter series or memorabilia. This is purely fictional. Anything that sounds familiar most likely belongs to J. K. Rowling, if not someone else.

**Author Note:** Finally got a new chapter out! And I even changed the grammar to United Kingdom lingo. Figured that would be fun to do. Fixed all the other chapters as well. The story is essentially the same. I am actually surprised I managed to get this out. I usually take ten years to do so. Oh well. I will get the next chapter out as soon as I can. Warning, though. I will have an enforced two month break this summer. Boot camp here I come!

* * *

**_Chapter Five_**

Lily looked down the table towards the four boys. The hazel eyed one who wore way too much fabric was scolding the boy who had fairly colourful language. He was sitting down now, but all the same, he was still glaring at the boy, mentioning his parents. An owl, snowy, soared to him and sat on his shoulder as a letter fell next to his plate. The thick parchment boded to be a fairly thick letter, which the boy opened. The redhead was so preoccupied with the boy that she didn't notice Professor McGonagall standing next to her, trying to hand her a piece of paper.

"Lily!" Kimberly yelled, the whole hall jumping, Lily and Professor McGonagall included. Lily quickly looked to the professor before she was caught by the hazel eyed boy.

"Miss Evans, you may stare at the boys some other day. For now," McGonagall was interrupted.

"Yeah, just spend class time staring at James. He is really cute! I wonder why…do you think Mary Walish knows much about him?" Lily looked at her. The girl pretty much shouted that to the whole hall. Mary walked up behind her.

"Our parents are friends. I know more about his parents than him, seeing as I have only met him once. Hello, professor." Mary sat down next to Mary, who was sitting there previously.

"I don't know anything about him. I am a half-blood, remember? I am just as new to the scene as Lily is."

"How does being half-blood make you new to the scene? I thought that was muggle-born."

"My mum raised me, and she is a muggle. My dad wasn't around. I am going to live with him now, though. This should be really fun this summer!" Kimberly continued to babble about her parents, how her mom and dad never got married, and how her mom happened to live four streets down from the Potter family. Apparently, she always knew she was a witch, but knew nothing of the culture. Her dad was always busy during the year. He apparently worked at the Ministry and the Minister of Magic was rather crazy and demanded work all the time. She spent Easter with him, though, and they always had corned beef rather than the traditional ham.

Lily looked at the paper in front of her and studied it. It consisted of her schedule. She looked over at Alice Prewett, who, she discovered the night before, was a second year. She stood up and made her way over to the girl. Sitting next to her, she gave a big smile. Alice frowned.

"I don't like that smile." Lily giggled.

"I have a question," Lily said. Alice immediately stood, along with another student, male and tall. He held a transfiguration book, the third of the series she had the first of.

"Are you a third year?" she asked him, forgetting about Alice altogether.

"Frank." Alice turned back to Lily after introducing the boy, even if it was sparse. "What did you want to ask me?"

Lily stared after Frank, who was leaving hesitantly.

"I hope I didn't interrupt you two…" Alice softened.

"You didn't interrupt anything. What is it you wanted to ask me?" Lily blinked.

"Well, I was going to ask you to show me around to the Charms classroom," Lily hesitated and turned, to head over to her friends, "but you were going to be busy, so I won't–"Alice grabbed the first year's arm.

"I would be glad to show you. Frank can come, too." Alice spotted someone. "Oy! James!"

James Potter looked up and stared at Alice. She dragged the red head, Lily, over to him. He merely blinked at her.

"Yes?" She smiled at his tone. He didn't know her and was curious as to why she was talking to him. Remus and Sirius, left earlier, when Peter suggested that they try to find the class before class started. James would have gone with if not for the fact that the charms class was the one class he knew where to find. Remus should have known how to find it, too, seeing as it was the last class they found before they finally found the Great Hall.

"I have a letter here," she said, causing both James and Lily to focus on her hand. James' gaze didn't leave the letter. "It seems your mum wants me to guide you to all your classes. So you don't get in trouble for tardiness. I don't know why she would be concerned. But she is." James immediately looked at his own letter. He knew exactly why she deemed it necessary for him to have a chaperone. She had written that she would be "extremely delighted not to get any letters from the headmaster concerning the inability to find his first class of the day, so to go from class to class immediately following each so that he would be on time. She clearly had not expected him to manage to find most, if not all, of his classes before breakfast.

"I already know where the classroom is for Charms. I found it when Remus got the two of us lost on our way here, actually." With that he stood, about to leave.

"Then you can take Lily with you!" With that, she hurried away before either could respond. "See you two after class!" James stood stunned, as did Lily. But he started out, hearing the girl hurry to catch up with him. The rest of the Gryffindor girls were still sitting, chatting. They took no notice of the two and James was glad. He could just imagine Mary Walish's accusation running through the Great Hall. And the teasing of walking with a girl. He shuddered.

"How do you get to the Charms classroom?" James looked at the red head and blinked. For someone who didn't like him all the much, she was pretty chatty.

"This way," he said, point ahead of him. Lily looked where he pointed and bounced in step next to him.

"We got off on the wrong foot. Several times," she added, as an afterthought. James paused and just gave a heavy breath before bestowing a muted look of annoyance.

"I hadn't noticed." He started to move, only to be stopped again by the red head.

"I'm Lily Evans," she introduced herself innocently. James merely looked at her.

"I know." He continued walking.

"You know, to have a fresh start, both people have to introduce themselves." James turned around and looked at her, he was startled by how close she was to him. He backed up a bit.

"Okay. My name is, as you _already know_, James Potter." He turned, again, and continued down the corridor.

"Do you know where any of the other classrooms are?" she asked. He looked at her via peripheral vision and studied her. She looked like she had a lot more questions.

"Yeah, unfortunately."

"Or fortunately." James paused and looked at her. Lily was smiling at him and he was momentarily blank in the mind. He shook his head a looked away from her, ignoring the odd sensation of having nothing on his mind.

"Why fortunate?" he asked, started forward again and opening a tapestry. Lily gasped and he turned to look at her.

"What are you doing?" she demanded. He turned and looked at her. She was right next to him and taking his hand off the tapestry.

"There is a corridor behind here," he said, confused by her reaction.

"This is a piece of art! You shouldn't be touching it." James turned towards her, exasperated.

"Calm down, mudblood. No one cares about the precious tapestry except you," James immediately paled and turned to glare at the speaker.

"Apologize to her!" he demanded. The tall girl laughed, her black hair in a flyaway style that reminded James of the picture book his mother showed him. He couldn't remember the title, but he did remember his dad laughing at the absurdity of muggle imaginations. She merely looked at him.

"Oh look, Rou. The little blood-traitor is here to save the day." She laughed again and pushed James into Lily, who looked even more confused. He struggled to stand as the girl continued to laugh as she continued down the corridor, mocking his robes as she did. When he stood, he lent Lily his hand and helped her up.

"What did she mean by that?" Lily asked, wondering why the boy had looked so stricken when the girl called her names. He still looked peaky, though he opened the tapestry again and moved forward. Lily rushed to catch up to him, forgetting about her previous qualms about touching the artwork of the castle. "Well?" she demanded and James sighed, but not slowing.

"It is a really bad name. Don't even let people call you that. Mum and dad wouldn't tell be what it means exactly, but dad told me it is a really bad name for muggle-born wizards and witches." Lily looked at him when he finally slowed with curiosity. He opened a door and peered inside. He grinned.

"Is this the classroom?" she asked. He looked at her, still smiling.

"Yep! And I knew he was short!" James hadn't exactly been quiet as he said that, and when they entered the room, the professor looked unappreciative of the comment, though not angry or irritated.

"Thank you for the lovely description, Mr. Potter. I assume you learned such delicate mannerisms from your curiously inept father." The man said, voice slightly squeaky. James blinked.

"Filius, don't joke. You know the old man doesn't know what he is talking about half the time. He babbles and tends to forget his manners, especially around you." A woman, short, but still taller than the man, commented with a smile.

"I know, but it was merely an observation that he spends much of his time with his father."

"Or he didn't realize just how loud he was." The woman smiled again, taking note of Lily with a nod before heading towards the door. "Hope to see you two in Herbology later." James blinked at this.

"I don't know where Herbology is at…" he muttered. He pulled out his schedule, Lily sneaking a glance at it in turn. It was the same as hers. "And that is next."

"Maybe it is outside," she remarked and James looked at her, shrugging and putting the parchment in his bag. He pulled out a book in return, just as Lily began to go through her bag and pull out hers and took a seat, in the second row. James took the seat behind her before moving and sitting right next to her. She turned and looked at him blankly before rolling her eyes and reading a few pages into the book. She pulled out her notebook and pencil and jotting down a few notes before pausing. She looked at James and saw him looking at her pencil curiously. "What?" she asked, irritated by his intense concentration on her hand.

"What is that?" he asked, staring at the pencil in her hand like it was a foreign object. Lily resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the boy.

"What do you think it is?" _Dimwit._ The boy blinked before frowning.

"A muggle object." His forward answer caused Lily to look at him without rose-colored glasses. He genuinely did not know what a pencil was. She sighed and handing it to him.

"It is a pencil. It allows me to write without running out of ink. Or without having to dip a quill in a jar constantly to write a letter. It uses lead and you have to sharpen it when you need to." James turned the pencil around in his hand before taking out a piece of parchment and writing on the top of the page. Lily watched as he continued to write underneath it, as though mesmerised. Without thinking, the boy began to doodle, forgetting completely that Lily was waiting for her pencil. A moment passed before the girl gave up and just picked another pencil out of her bag and continuing with her notes.

James turned to hand the girl her pencil, only to find she had another one in her hand. He looked at the pencil again and twirled it around and around, flipping it in the air and catching it over again. The classroom began to fill up and seconds before the bell rang, Remus, Sirius, and Peter burst into the room and took the last available seats in the front of the front row, directly in front of the teacher. The classroom was dead silent as the teacher took roll. When that was finished, the tiny man gave an introduction.

"Welcome to Charms. I am Professor Flitwick and I will be teaching you Charms. Charms is a brilliant subject, really, and one you would do well to succeed in. Charms are useful for other classes as well, particularly Defence Against the Dark Arts, with Professor Periwinkle." Professor Flitwick winked before continuing on, explaining what they were going to do in the class as well as what they would be likely to get to through the course of the year. James ignored it for the most part, merely playing with the pencil in his hand. Until it floated out of his grasp. He reached for it, only to have it fly further away, irritated, he jumped and grabbed for it, only to have the object fly out of his reach again. He jumped, and finally grabbed it and looked around, expecting to see his dad in the room. The man was, and was laughing uncontrollably – much too hard to have done that to his son. James looked at the teacher, who smiled slightly as he continued as though there were no interruption was the messy haired boy standing in his desk. No one was listening to the teacher with their full attention though. They just wanted to learn all the spells to be learned in the class. If the teacher could do that, they could do anything. As class let out, students murmured their excitement for their next lesson. This time, James followed his father, who offered to show him the way to the next class after they dropped off his new robes. Lily, the red head, stood outside, looking around, and, seeing James, she ran over, following the two, man and son, to the greenhouses, directly to Greenhouse 1. His father said goodbye and disappeared.

Lily watched as the man walked away, a larger version of James, except with a sharper face and blue eyes. She glanced at James, who strode into the greenhouse a bird with ruffled feathers. She held back a giggle. She walked in and spotted Severus. Smiling, she trotted over and sat down next to him. He scowled in the direction of James, and she tried not to take too much from that.

"Hello, Sev!" He turned at her cheer and immediately smiled. She started to speak when the teacher came into the classroom and started the introduction of herself. She called roll, giggling when she reached Sirius, who happened to be bouncing uncontrollably at the idea of a plant called boob. He got it mixed up with bulb, though no one who realized this bothered to correct the barking boy. He would figure it out eventually, either on his own or when the teacher snapped at him repeatedly for vulgar language.

Sirius received three detentions in two minutes. Lily was impressed. All were related to vulgar language. The whole class was, really. When Sirius said 'boob' again, the whole class waited to see what the teacher would do. Sprout, a stout woman, merely blinked, visibly exhausted by the boy, merely ignored Sirius and continued on with her lesson, an introduction, really. Lily was diligent, but mostly ignored the lesson in favour of watching James take notes in his journal, a muggle artefact probably transferred over from the ages of similarities. Her own journal, while different, was also open, though blank. She snuck a peak at Severus' and decided to borrow his notes, if not James' if it proved wise enough.

James tried to ignore Sirius and get his dad's teasing remarks out of his head by focusing on Professor Sprouts monologue about plants. Most of the information he already knew from the last few years of helping his mum plant her garden. But he took notes all the same. He was distracted, however, by his father's comment about Potters falling in love with red headed women, saying they were the only ones who were able to put up with them. James thought it sounded disgusting, but he didn't say that out loud. He learned not to comment on girls being disgusting from watching his neighbour tell Mary MacDonald that girls were dog poo with cooties. No, he was not stupid enough to follow in the muggle boy's footsteps. The bell rang moments later and James hopped out of his seat, the door and castle his destination. He was halfway to the castle when footsteps caught up to him. Looking behind him, Lily had caught up.

"You know, you don't have to follow me everywhere." James started to walk again, and Lily kept pace.

"I know, but you seem to know where you are going. I figured I would follow you for today and find my own way tomorrow." Her voice echoed as they walked in the doors into the Entrance Hall, and along the corridor as James slowly tuned out the babbles and merely let her voice play like music in his ear.

He didn't notice the teachers staring as they passed, wondering when he would make the mistake that was bound to happen. None expected it to happen in the one class he wanted to be in ever since he received his Hogwarts letter. And no one expected Lily to be the one to make him mad. But then again, Lily didn't expect herself to get angry over him not accepting her thousands of apologies, either.

* * *

Just a note: I got nothing much except I figured I would make Lily the one who causes the huge hatred between herself and James. Figured I would add in that twist.

XOXO, I.L.K.13


	6. Chapter 6

Wandering Romance, Unwavering *A Lily and James Fan Fiction*

_Both were from completely different worlds. One was from the world of magic and the other from the realm of muggles. But both attended the same school: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Their story is a long one that ends where it also began: Platform 9 ¾._

Disclaimer: I do not own The Harry Potter series or memorabilia. This is purely fictional. Anything that sounds familiar most likely belongs to J. K. Rowling, if not someone else.

**Author Note:** To be read after the chapter itself. See who started the war? I might bring up the rabbits later on in the story. I have to make note of it here, though, so I won't forget. See my cleverness? Huh? Yeah. I am brilliant. You also see where Harry gets his little quirks from too. All the successful escapee stunts he pulled. Only, Harry used magic, and Lily was just naturally conniving like that.

Also: Sorry this took so long to put out. I tend to get really busy and everyone calls on me for some strange reason (not that I don't like him, but I thought that the girlfriends were supposed to be the clingy ones, not the boyfriends!). And what makes me feel worse is that I had only two or three paragraphs left before I could post this. Embarrassing, right? But I hope you enjoy this chapter and the next one will be out as soon as I can get it typed, and as soon as I can think of what to do. I already have the beginning down, if that cheers you up. Just the rest of the chapter to go...

* * *

**_Chapter Six_**

James sent her a frosty look, enough to have given her frostbite. Lily met his with equally cold fire, not daunted by the metaphorical burning. She honestly didn't know why the boy was so mad. All she did was point out that he was waving his wand wrong. It wasn't like she was telling him that he was like the Peter fellow who seemed to be following him around everywhere. All the while, she ignored the Professor, having more nerve than anyone else in the classroom. The staring contest soon ended with Lily turning away, unable to take part any longer. With a glance around the classroom, she noted everyone was zeroed in on them, whether they looked or no. Professor McGonagall stepped up to the desk then.

"Both of you are waving your wands wrong." With that, she proceeded to do so the correct way.

James wanted to growl. He was doing it the way his dad showed him. His mum even told him this was the right way. He continued doing it his way.

"Potter-" McGonagall started. Just as the pin turned into a quill. Everyone who happened to be looking blinked. Including the professor. Colour rose into Lily's cheeks at this. She looked the other way and continued to do the spell the way McGonagall showed her then. James transformed a few more before putting down his wand, bored. As the bell rang, he began to pack up his things, one of the few who managed to change his pin to a feather quill, Lily being one of the others.

"Potter." James looked up. McGonagall was looking at him and smiled as she waved him to her desk. He put his last book in his bag before going up to her desk.

"Professor, I knew that spell already, at least a little bit. My mum and dad showed it to me last week when I lost my quill set." McGonagall merely smiled.

"Work on this spell." She handed him a page with a book and page number on it. "You will find the book in the transfiguration section of the library." With that she shooed him out of the room. As he exited, he spotted Sirius leaning against the wall with Remus. Peter, he assumed, scurried to be the first in the Great Hall, still seeming to not know that the food will always fill the plates, no matter what time you got there.

"What did McGonagall want?" James shrugged.

"Nothing much," he said, discreetly slipping the paper into his pocket.

Lily watched as James walked into the Great Hall, bugged, but not as irritated as before. She refocused on the conversation with the girls.

"Wasn't that amazing?" Mary Walish squealed.

"What?" Lily asked. The girls giggled.

"The fact that you claim to be irritated with the boy to no end, want to strangle him and put him in a hole to die, and yet you turn the moment he walks in with a look my sister has when she watches her boyfriend." Lily immediately came to pictures Petunia drooling over that one boy in her school, Harold. Imagining Petunia looking at the weird oaf, she bolted out of the Great Hall to the restroom, not realizing she crashed into James on her way.

James looked at Lily as she continued past him, intent on wherever she was going. He shook his head, a scowl on his face at the reminder of class earlier. Sirius smirked.

"Still pissed about class, I see." James glared at the boy.

"Where do you come off talking like that? My mum and dad would have murdered me by now." Sirius just shrugged, not looking at James, but instead at the retreating figure of Lily. James also looked at her disappearing back.

"No one ever bothered to stop me. And if it makes you feel better, I could go on like the rest of my family. They call muggleborns mu –" James smacked a hand over Sirius' mouth.

"You finish that sentence, I will punch you." Mary MacDonald walked in at that precise moment, as well as Lily. The boys caught a snippet of their conversation.

"So looking at a boy sappily is disgusting?"

"It is when you put it in the context that Mary – Mary Walish – did!"

James blinked before shaking his head, pushing the conversation out of his head. He removed his hand. "Why would you punch him?"

James looked at Remus curiously. "You know what mu—what that word is! It is rude! And how would you feel if people called you names just because of something you cannot change?"

Remus looked at James, who unconsciously shifted to a different path of the conversation, stunned. He, suddenly not able to move, looked at the boy and smiled. Before frowning. He suddenly wondered how far that philosophy went. He didn't really want to find out. He quickly scurried to catch up to them as they sat a few feet down the table, in the only space with enough seats for all of them.

"Wait! You're telling me that you have never tried to prank your parents!" James shuddered.

Remus looked at him in shock. "You haven't?" James sent them both terrified looks.

"You haven't met my dad!" He wasn't exactly quiet, as Sirius was also not so quiet. Some people turned to glance at them curiously.

"Why do you say that?" Remus questioned. James looked at him like he has been hit over the head.

"Are you telling me you have never heard of Eric Potter? The make-them-pee-their-pants master?!" Sirius and Remus both guffawed at this. "I'm not kidding! The man is insane. No one is stupid enough to pull a prank on him – or my mum! She is just as bad as him, no matter what she may look!"

"Make-them...pee...their-pa...master!" Remus managed to wheeze. Sirius banged the table in enlightenment. James merely grumbled. Remus turned in the direction of the staff table and saw the headmaster's eyes twinkle in amusement, looking directly at their group. The man turned to his colleagues soon after. Remus calmed down at that point, however, and managed to put food in his mouth not choking. Sirius also began winding down, still chuckling as he scooped his dinner into his mouth.

Lily woke up the next morning first again, though Kim was also up directly after her. The girls grumbled hellos before heading to the bathroom to get ready. As Lily discovered the day before, while listening to upperclassman girls in the halls, two showers a day were not uncommon in Hogwarts – for girls and Quidditch players, at least – and she placed claim on the first stall, Kim the second.

"What is the first class today?" Kim called over the wall. Lily blinked at the wall before responding.

"I think it is Potions." She heard Kim mumble. "Sorry? I didn't catch that!"

"Nothing." Lily blinked before putting her shower back in mind. She finished quickly enough and exited the stall, towel wrapped around her, to see Mary MacDonald had entered the bathroom, currently brushing her teeth as she waited for a stall to open. Putting her plastic shower bag on the counter, Lily walked into the dorm and pulled out her robes, the skirt and shirt comfy and warm in the chilly air of the dorm. She sat and put on her socks and black oxford saddle shoes.

By the time she finished brushing her teeth, all the girls were awake. She slipped down the stairs quietly and headed out the portrait hole. It was 7:00 and she figured breakfast was ready. She remembered the prefects saying something about breakfast starting at 6:45. As she entered the room, her eyes immediately landed on James, who sat with an upperclassman. As she passed them, she heard James say something about chasing. She sat nearby, curious about their conversation. The older boy seemed to take this as a way to invite her into the conversation.

"What about you?" When she didn't immediately respond, he prodded again. "Do you know quidditch?" She looked up and blinked before she realized the boy was talking to her.

"What is quidditch?" The boy blinked before he gripped his chest for dramatic flair.

"What is quidditch?!" A girl appeared next to him, laughing.

"You may have managed to shut the guy up for once! I thank you immensely!" The boy glared at the girl.

"Lass, you should disappear. I like it when you disappear. It is strangely peaceful." The girl playfully hit his arm. Before sticking a kiss on his cheek. He grinned into his cereal. James and Lily both scrunched their noses. James turned to her.

"Quidditch is the magical equivalent to..." James squinted. "What is a popular game to muggles?" Lily blinked.

"Football."

"It is the magical equivalent to that. Americans prefer quodpot, but we in Europe are fiercely particular about our quidditch. I personally follow Fitchburg Finches from America. They have won the cup at least three times. I prefer Arrows for my main team. I support them. Everyone tends to like the Tornadoes, but I don't like how they play. They play dirty." Lily blinked before looking under the table. A cat sat there, at her feet, her nose continually sending waves of tickles with each twitch. Lily moved her foot, and the cat moved closer. Unable to move her foot further, she moved closer to James and stood up. The cat followed.

James paled at the sight of his cat. Apparently she never got the memo that she is, unlike at home, _not_ allowed at the table. He swiped up the cat and pinned her in his lap. He felt Lily look at him, alongside the two older students, and flushed slightly.

He struggled to explain. "She...Calico likes to come to the table. I told her not to come, but I don't think she understood that when I told her this morning..." He grabbed his bag and put her in it, deciding this would be easiest. He looked at Lily, who had since sat back down. He saw her peak at his book bag and tear some bread up. She slipped some crust to the mouth at the side. James tried to smile, internally dreading the consequences of the red-head's actions, and failed with a small smile in spite of the internal warnings his brain gave him. _Now I will never get her not to come to the table..._

"I like her. She is pretty." James watched as the girl put another piece of bread into the bag. This time he was close to flinching.

"Could you stop feeding her? I don't think pets are allowed in here, and I don't want Professor McGonagall finding..."

"Finding what?" James and Lily both jumped at the voice of their professor behind them.

"Nothing, Professor," he said quickly. Professor McGonagall frowned before holding out her hand. James hesitated, unconsciously clenching his bag tighter. With a quick flick of her wand, James' cat came flying out of his bag and into her arms. Both eleven year olds froze. McGonagall glanced at the cat and then at them before placing her on the ground. Calico jetted out of the hall and out of sight. James wasn't willing to figure it out the where at the moment. Nor did he particularly care, as the animal had a strong honing centre to him.

"Pets are not allowed in the Great Hall." James shrunk in his seat. "Consider this your warning, Mr. Potter." She looked at Lily. "And the same applies to you, Miss Evans." James watched the girl blink confusedly as their Professor set off out of the hall, in a similar direction to Calico. James glared at Lily before digging into his meal, and leaving Lily out of his mind for the rest of the meal.

Lily glared at the back of his head. It was all she could do during the lesson, as it became increasingly obvious that their pearly teacher had nothing to teach them at all, and probably never would. Yes, she took notes. Yes, she paid attention to the monotonous spirit. No, she did not care about goblin rebellions from centuries back. All she cared about was getting back at James Potter's best friend. _No one_ made a joke out of her in class. _No one_ dared to call her turnip brain. And _no one would live after turning her into a rabbit in their humour!_ Yeah, their professor was able to turn her back. Yes, all the teachers were now putting her on the equivalent of Muggle Suicide Watch in hopes she wouldn't retaliate – apparently muggleborns are famed for their retaliation here at Hogwarts. It didn't matter, though, because no one knew she was sneaky. No one knew that it was her who managed to sneak the principal's music onto the intercom at her school. No one would either. Not if she had her way. And she did all that without the help of magic.

Sirius Black messed with the wrong person, and he didn't even know it yet. She scribbled on the page in front of her, adding another note she is pretty sure everyone will be hunting down later in their textbooks. Not that it mattered, because she wasn't likely to touch these notes again until she went through her stuff at the end of the year to downsize all of her stuff so she could get home with the same amount of bags she came with. She doodled on the side, ideas rolling in and out of her mind. Until something stuck a cord. All because she watched as Remus sniff and lick his wrist.

She hit the hot spot. And she didn't even think twice about the odd quirk she witnessed.

James glanced back at Lily several times during History of Magic. The way she looked at Sirius throughout the lesson told him that Sirius was going to regret his joking manner when he accidentally turned her into a rabbit earlier in Transfiguration. He also knew that somehow, him, Remus, and that Peter kid would be involved. He shook his head and went back to drawing on what was supposed to be his notes, deciding to worry about it when the time came. The roughly drawn quaffle, smaller than his thumb, was soon joined by two bludgers, and Sirius happened to elbow him as he started the wings of the snitch, running his quill off the page and through the quaffle. James glared at the boy – until he realised everyone was leaving. He jumped up and shoved all his stuff into his bag before bolting after Sirius – who left him as soon as the boy started packing up his things – to reach the Great Hall.

As soon as he sat, food flooded the trays. He dug into them, piling his plate with treacle tart.

No sooner than James sitting down did Lily launch her plan. It started with nothing. Until Sirius would reach his pudding. She would charm it – she was only a few feet away from the group of skylarkers – as soon as he lifted the spoon to his mouth. It would splat in his face and she would keep the best straight face – as long as she didn't look at him. As the boy started to lift his spoon to his mouth, full of the creamy white goo, it exploded, splattering the entire group. Everyone turned to look at the small group. Lily looked along with the rest of the crowd, abandoning her former plan – it didn't do to be sneaky just to be caught by not being the same as everyone else. And when she looked, she really thought about the semi-failed plan. She hadn't exactly planned to explode his entire plate of food. The effect was so much better, though – everyone looked better in creamy potatoes with chunks of brown, orange, green, purple, and all other assortments of colours that were created by the candies and fruits on his plate. Really, the look was spectacular on him.

Lupin guffawed at his friend as the boy sputtered food back onto his plate – as the boy turned to glare at the leering 5th year at the Slytherin table. The young woman – as was appropriate, as any eye could see the girl was no child – glared right back at him a smirk on her face as she turned back to her plate, eyeing Lupin knowingly. Lupin shook off the feeling and went right back to jesting at his friends' expense. James also had food in and around him. Lupin continued this jest – until his own plate exploded. That is when he spotted the wand tucked into the pocket of a certain female. Lupin eyed the girl, watching her smirk as she melted into the antics of the rest of the crowd. He looked at James and Sirius, both of which were now eyeing Peter – the only one in the group with an unexploded plate. Lupin jerked his gaze to the red head. She smirked, eyes glittering. She mouthed words to him. He just shook his head in response, vowing to get back at her.

James wiped his hand across his mouth, not wanting to think about what the exploding plate on food in front of him managed to lodge into the messy locks. All he knew is that Peter was hiding a mischievous streak and that he (and Sirius and Lupin) would now have to get him back. As he began to think of ways to do so, he didn't think about the fact that he was acting just like his father – until he was in the shower and thought that a hair dye potion – bright neon green and pink – in the boy's shampoo would make for the perfect solution, as well as a mother horntail dragon replica hidden in the boys drawers, just on top of his pants, would make the boy piss his (soiled) pants. And strangely, James didn't mind. He just pushed out the creeping comment made by Mary on that first day that he indeed did inherit the Mischief's Curse, as Mary so labelled it.

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**Review Question:** Little Lily is not as innocent as she appears - and is the real prankster here! Any guesses as to what she may have said?

XOXO, I.L.K.13


	7. Chapter 7

Wandering Romance, Unwavering *A Lily and James Fan Fiction*

_Both were from completely different worlds. One was from the world of magic and the other from the realm of muggles. But both attended the same school: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Their story is a long one that ends where it also began: Platform 9 ¾._

Disclaimer: I do not own The Harry Potter series or memorabilia. This is purely fictional. Anything that sounds familiar most likely belongs to J. K. Rowling, if not someone else.

**Author Note:** I apologize for the antagonizing wait. I am really bad about updating. For all of you who are still reading, I thank you for keeping tabs on me. I know I am slow, but please, keep on waiting for my updates. Slow coming they may be, but I produce only what I feel is worthy of being put out. I will not put out anything less than outstanding.

More of a non-important announcement. When I save up the money, I am going to get yet another tattoo, this one on my leg of a deer with 'We never left.' underneath it. It is my absolute favorite line from Deathly Hallows.

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**_Chapter Seven_**

Lily, for the life of her, couldn't think of why she just acted like that in the middle of the Great Hall, or how none in that group pinned the mischief maker as her – Remus Lupin was a special case. Apparently he was the only one not stupid enough to think Peter could actually manage to do something like that – then again, the boy may just be stupid enough to manage to do that by accident. _Catch me if you can! _And _why_ would she tell that to Remus? Not that anyone could prove it was her; Remus had nothing but his memories to prove this one, and no one was likely to care what a first year had to say. Besides, everyone found it humorous.

So when her book snapped shut on her, she didn't really put much imagination into it. As she opened it to the page, she began writing again. The book snapped shut again. She looked at it before repeating her actions. Half way through another word, the book snapped shut again. This time, Lily looked around. The only other people in the room were James Potter and Remus Lupin – whose name she now felt deserved to be full, when she thought about it. She looked down before looking back up. _James Potter and Remus Lupin are the only two people in this room. They are the only ones in here. _Lily eyed Remus suspiciously. The boy only smirked. She felt James's confusion from across the room and glared at Remus in return for it.

James glanced at Lily, who was getting angrier by the minute. He didn't quite believe that someone who was such a stickler would pull a prank like the one pulled in the Great Hall earlier, but Remus made a good point when he made his case – Peter just wasn't smart enough to think of pranking them. James, when Remus pointed this out, was suspicious that Peter wouldn't even have let such a thought cross his mind, even if it was planted. He really seemed that stupid. Looking at Lily again, he struggled to believe it could be her, though. She seemed too much the serious type to pull a ploy like the one Remus suggested she played. If she did, he wanted to know what he did to her, because he could have sworn that he hasn't dealt with her directly since Breakfast that morning when she got him in trouble, involving his indignant feline. He even made sure not to go near the girl. She was a little too much to handle if you dealt with her when she was angry. As was every female he knew. And Sirius managed to piss her off, seeming not to care too much. Until food got in his hair. No. That was too much for the heir of the Black fortune. Not that James thought that would last long. From his mother's reaction to his new and first friend, she didn't care too much for one Mr. James Potter. They all heard that Howler.

While James was shocked, when he wrote his mother about it, she wrote back saying that she was not, and that while Sirius seemed to be quite a lovely boy, his family was not one that would take too kindly to a Potter associating with them. He looked down at the letter he was currently writing to him mum. Rereading it, he decided to write about Lily. Not sure why he always felt compelled to mention the girl, he ignored the funny feelings that rose up in his stomach at the thought of her, deciding that he just needed a drink or something.

Lily slipped into bed, exhausted, trying to ignore the lines of her potions book that kept chasing her in her head as she tried to fall into a stupor. It wasn't working. And it was all thanks to James Potter. She knew it was him that kept flipping her book back and forth a million and one times. She wouldn't put it past Remus, but right then, she really just blamed James. Because not only did he get her in trouble this morning, but he also was the only one willing enough to do something like that. Remus was too serious – literally. The boy looked like he would do anything not to risk being kicked out of school. Her anger and irritation at the boy slipped out of her mind, however, as she fell into slumber, dreaming about lacewig flies and their capabilities to different types of potions.

"Mum!" James shouted, as if the woman could hear his indignant protest at the words on the page she had written – a week after he wrote, mind you. The woman got mad when he didn't respond immediately, but when she didn't... Remus and Sirius, along with some of the students starting to enter the hall, sent curious looks at him. Before they reached him, however, twins appeared on either side of him.

"Looks like mummy wrote you the wrong message mate," one of them remarked.

"Yeah, seems to think girls are on an eleven year-old's mind," said the other one. A girl appeared in front of the small group of three, eerily quick, not unlike his mum did.

"Leave him alone, Fabian, Gideon," a red headed girl, clearly a sixth or seventh year, said, also sounding motherly.

"Aw, Molly Weasley. Don't need to act like a mum, you know," the one on the left remarked.

"Yeah. Last I checked, little Willy was only about a month old," the one on the right joked. The girl's eyes flashed and her wand was draw faster than even James's father could draw his wand. James ducked instinctively. The twins, however, weren't so lucky.

"Don't you _dare_ give my baby that nickname!" she shrieked, echoing in the hall.

"Sorry!" one sobbed. James peeked over the table.

"What are you even doing here? I thought you were too busy to deal with your troublesome brothers."

The girl looked at her brothers before giving a small cry and squishing them both in hugs.

"Oh, you two! I came to show you idiots your nephew! He has gotten so big!" She dragged them out of the hall, James relatively grateful. Until Sirius sat down. The boy never learned to keep his paws to himself, it seemed, as he reached and snatched the letter from James.

"Give that back!" James shouted. Sirius just stood on the bench. James stood as well and jumped to get his letter. He almost succeeded when McGonagall came by and snatched the letter. James hopped down from the bench immediately. "May I have my letter back, Professor?" he asked quietly. McGonagall merely looked at James before handing the letter back, an eyebrow raised.

"Off the bench, Mr. Black, or you will find yourself in detention."

"Anything for you, Professor," the eleven year old flirted, causing her to stare at him curiously before shaking her head and walking away.

Lily didn't have time for this. She was running late as it was and finding this classroom was always difficult – she would swear under oath that this particular path changed every hour.

"Peeves, give me back my books!" she shouted, attracting the attention of most of the corridor. A few students sneered.

"Ha! Pathetic little mudblood can't get her books back."

"Shut up!" A voice bounced off the walls, and Lily was distracted enough to turn around. Peeves, who hadn't expected the voice either, dropped her bag, which landed heavily on her foot. She crowed at the impact. But no one would have heard her over the scuffle caused by one James Potter as he stood, wand pointed, in front of the group of Slytherin 7th years.

"Oh look," the one who shouted out to her earlier cooed silkily. "Itty, bitty, baby James Potter wants to fight." She had her wand out just like James. Lily called out for them to stop but she wasn't heard over bangs.

It wasn't James that caused them, however. Lily watched as the red haired twins shoved James out of the way, throwing spells at the Slytherin girl at the same time she attempted to throw one at James. Lily ran over to him.

"Are you crazy? They are way older than us! What made you charge up like that?" James flushed, and a few girls giggled.

"She shouldn't have called you that…" he mumbled, barely to be heard. Lily blinked.

"I don't care. She doesn't matter to me, so why would I care what she calls me?" James seemed disturbed by her lack of self-care.

"You don't care? You're just going to let someone walk in and call dirty names just because they don't matter to you? You shouldn't let them do that! You will become a doormat!"

"Oh, little blood-traitor seems to have picked up mummy and daddy's philosophy!" the woman cooed, manic laughter coming out of her mouth as she sent a poisonous glance at the two first years with a sinister grin on her face. Lily felt her spine tingle as the woman walked away, sending nervous looks at the wands still pointed at her by the Gryffindor twins.

When she left, James felt the eyes of the Prewetts land on him.

"I know you're a Potter and all," one started.

"But that doesn't make you invincible," the other finished. James blinked.

"Bellatrix Black is dangerous, Potter," one said. "And she won't hesitate to hurt you. Your parents are pretty popular with those opposing Voldemort, but they are also regarded as enemy #1 by Voldemort and his followers. Don't tempt her to hurt you." With that, they walked off, leaving James speechless.

"Don't go starting fights because you don't like what someone says," Lily muttered under her breath before stalking off to class. James hurried after her, not wanting to be late.

Lily didn't understand the boy. She knew the term. The girls encountered it the night before, and then there was the first day of classes, when James first took offense to her being called dirty words. What she didn't understand was why he, who was obviously from an all magic heritage, took so much offense to it. It wasn't as though he were the one to be insulted. Not sure she would get much out of her musings, she merely shook her head as she entered the Defense of the Dark Arts classroom. The professor glanced up as she entered before putting her quill to the parchment she was writing on again. The classroom slowly filled, Ravenclaw students sharing the room with the Gryffindor first years this class. Lily, glancing around, did a double take at a blonde Ravenclaw boy, who seemed to be staring pointedly at the ceiling. As she continued to study him, she didn't notice that everyone was starting to study him as well, most starting by looking at what she was looking at. She tilted her head at the boy, wondering what he was looking at. She looked up and back again. The chair next to her moved and she turned, noticing Remus sitting down, James in the other seat. Black slide into the last seat before the mousy boy, forcing the mousy boy to sit with Kimberly and Alice, who were hoping Kyle would sit with them. He sat with the Marys. She ignored both, however, in her observation of the strange Ravenclaw.

"Is there something wrong with him?" she breathed, figuring these boys may know something about the bloke. James didn't seem confused by his behaviour so she looked at him expectantly.

James wasn't paying attention to the red head and was shocked to find her staring at him intently.

"What?" he asked indignantly, not really sure why he chose to sit here. She is the one who accused him of being stupid in his last class.

"What is wrong with that boy over there?" James glanced at the boy in question.

"I would just ignore him." James went back to pulling out his books and wand. When he glanced at her again, he saw her still watching him.

"Why is staring at the ceiling so intently?" she asked again, and James peered at the boy in question for a brief moment before turning and facing Lily.

"That's Xenophilius Lovegood," he explained, feeling that was enough to explain the boy. Lily merely blinked. Sirius snorted.

"That explains everything then!" he wheezed. Lily looked at Sirius as though she still hadn't forgotten about the charms incident – he didn't think she did, to be honest.

"Yeah, and you are probably explained by your name, too, but you don't see me expecting that to be enough to explain your behaviour." James snickered.

"The Lovegood's are a bit of an odd family, at least his branch of the family tree anyway. For the most part, they are very nice, very brilliant. But his parents are a bit off. He is probably thinking there are some non-existent magical creatures in the corner." James rolled his eyes and went back to studying his book, not really interested in the strange Ravenclaw.

Before Lily could ask any more questions, the professor stood, eyeing both her and James.

"Good morning, class. My name is Professor Periwinkle, and I will be your Defense Against the Arts Teacher." Focusing on the teacher, she wondered why the teacher seemed so nervous. Mostly, however, she tried to ignore the not so quiet whispering of Sirius Black, who seemed to not care about being in class. The professor continued to talk, much to Lily's chargin. It didn't take long, however, for the woman to do something.

"Mr. Black." Everyone in class, including Sirius, looked up at the teacher, though Sirius wasn't waiting with baited breath.

"Yes, professor?" he asked innocently, as though he wasn't about to get in trouble for talking non-stop for over 30 minutes straight.

"Can you tell me what our first lesson is going to be?" Lily blinked. Even she couldn't answer that. Sirius had been babbling too loudly for her to hear anything about anything.

"Minor jinxes," he said, calm as an undisturbed butterfly. Lily turned and looked at him, the astonishment evident on her face.

"And what will the first minor jinx you learn be?"

"You haven't told us that yet, professor."

Professor Periwrinkle blinked as though she were stunned that he was actually paying attention. Lily, however, was furious.

"If you can answer her questions, then you should shut your trap so everyone else can hear her, and maybe learn something too! Not everyone is like you and able to hear over your voice!" Lily gulped, eyes widening as she looked nervously at the teacher. The woman looked at Lily curiously.

"It would do you well to hold in your temper, Miss Evans. I know it is hard, being a red head and having to do so, but you would do well to learn that lesson now and not when it is too late."

The professor turned and went to her desk, continuing on with her speech. James chanced a glance at Lily, who looked chastised. Unsure how to take her hurt expression, he slipped a note on her desk.

_Don't worry. I am sure everyone else agrees with you. – James_

He saw her look at it, as small smile coming on her face as she sent him a slight glance. She slipped the paper back over to him.

_Thank you. – Lily_

James was pretty sure he didn't hear a word for the rest of the lesson. He had notes, but he didn't remember taking any of them. They would be learning the Body Bind Curse that week, though James didn't know if this was a good idea. He could just imagine what this would cause. He thought they would be writing essays on basic Defense Against the Dark Arts, learning the theory before actual wand work. But that didn't change the fact that he was excited about it. Unlike his neighbour and partner for yet another class. This time, Lily Evans did not correct him. Mostly because she was still moody from the prefessor's reprimand from earlier, he assumed.

Lily watched James as he took notes from his textbook, begging for the bell to ring. This was the class she had actually been looking forward to participating in, and it turned out the professor like Mr. Troublemaker. She sent a dark look at Sirius, trying not to be distracted by the strange Ravenclaw. Which was a lot harder than it looked. It seemed that she was the only person who couldn't seem to take her eyes off the strange boy. She kept on glancing at the ceiling, trying to figure out what he was looking at. This earned her a second reprimand from the professor.

"Miss Evans! I believe you would do better in this class if you paid more attention to me rather than the boys in this class." The teacher continued on with her lesson while Lily bit her tongue, holding back the attitude that had resulted in too many trips to the principal's office in primary school.

She almost succeeded. If the professor hadn't mentioned and attempted to reprimand Lily a third time – this time for doing what she was supposed to be doing, taking notes down for their essay, Lily was certain she wouldn't have turned the teacher's robes into acid. While the professor had easily solved the problem, Lily found herself in Professor Dumbledore's office, almost in tears. As well as the talk of the school. Apparently, red heads were always popular for their tempers at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

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**Author's note:** Wow. Extreme foreshadowing in play here. And I didn't even attempt to. Talk about ingenious ploys!

**Review Question: **What do you think Lily and Dumbledore's chat will consist of?


End file.
